My Pirates of the Caribbean
by Saraqueenofallthings
Summary: complete story. there is also now a small story, well... not even a story...up which precedes this one. It's called The Dream, if anyone would care to look it up.
1. Port Royal

Chapter One-Port Royal  
  
Catherine looked out her window and gazed over the hustle and bustle of morning in Port Royal. She didn't know what it was about this place, still so strange to her, that caught her eye and entranced her mind every time she stared out over its busy streets so full of life. As she leaned against the railing of the balcony of the room she shared with her younger sister, Elizabeth, her eyes slowly turned to the ships docked in the harbors and on out to the glistening Caribbean waters. All of her life, Catherine had dreamt of sailing the seven seas, of running away on the ship of a fabled adventurer to spend the rest of her days seeing the world and doing exactly as she pleased. Her reality as the child of an ancient line of English nobility and the eldest daughter of the Governor of Jamaica, however, contained none of the adventure and freedom she so ardently wished for. Catherine and Elizabeth had come to Port Royal ten years ago to join their father, Governor Swann, but she had never seen anything of the Jamaica that existed beyond her door.  
Catherine loved her tropical home, even though the restrictions placed upon she and Elizabeth were even harsher than they had been back in England. These precious moments which she spent gazing out on the town were what helped her maintain her patience and composure when she and Elizabeth were politely greeting visiting dignitaries or sitting at the dinner table or in their parlor with a throng of maids and governess' breathing down their necks. Elizabeth had always enjoyed, or at least been amused by the stiff necked, corseted life they led as the daughters of nobility. Catherine, however, hated it completely. She longed for nothing more than to walk alone and unsupervised through the streets of beautiful Jamaica, to lift up her skirts and run across its golden beaches, to swim in its glittering blue waters. Her one wish for herself was simple. She wished to be free.  
Catherine was jolted back to reality by the sound of Elizabeth's comb being set down upon her dressing table. She turned and looked on her younger sister and best friend. Elizabeth was dainty and fair with her small features, golden hair full of curls and soft amber eyes, quite the opposite of Catherine, whose only physical similarity with her sister was her beautifully fair, rosy skin. Catherine's hair was not blonde and coiled, but perfectly straight and a deep, rich auburn. Where Elizabeth was small, dainty and thin, Catherine was tall, with a wonderfully voluptuous hourglass body, and carried herself with such strength that her presence dominated over those of almost every other person except perhaps her father. Catherine's defining and most striking feature, however, was her eyes. The deep green-grey of a stormy sea, Catherine's eyes held all the fire and passion that was in her spirit. Her every emotion could be seen in her eyes, if the beholder knew how to read them, which few people did. One of these people was coming towards her.  
"Good morning Cat."  
"It won't be a good morning if Father hears you calling me that. You know how he hates that nickname."  
"Oh I don't care what Father thinks about that," said Elizabeth as she threw her long golden hair out of her face to better see her sister, "Calling you Catherine won't make you any more suited to his expectations," she retorted with a grin.  
Edward Swann had always wanted the most for his daughters; that is he wanted them to have the most prestige and luxury available to them. Catherine's independent ways had always been bothersome and had completely ruined any and all opportunities for an advantageous marriage that the governor had ever presented her with. She was the difficult child, the wild mare unwilling to be tamed and saddled by marriage with any rich and most likely old suitor that came her way. Elizabeth, however, was more compliant with their father's wishes, though she could be just as tempestuous as her sister when given the opportunity. Once such opportunity existed in the person of the girls' childhood friend, Will Turner.  
Will was the first and only child the Swann sisters met upon their arrival in Port Royal ten years ago. Being two girls of ten and thirteen years old, they were quite discontent with their many attendants as playmates. Catherine and Elizabeth were given complete freedom in one area only: they could roam the grounds of the Governor's Mansion freely as long as they were within its protective walls. On their second day in Jamaica, the two sisters discovered the armory where Will's father was the resident blacksmith. Will, a rambunctious fourteen year old, naturally took the first opportunity to chase them away with a horseshoe in each hand. In retaliation, the girls rescued him from the beating he would have most certainly received from his father for these actions. They had been best friends ever since. Elizabeth, however, had begun to see Will as more than a playmate. As the three children grew, so did her feelings. Friendship turned into affection, which matured into romance, which blossomed into love. Will and Elizabeth utilized every secretive and subversive method they could think of to see each other alone, the most successful endeavors naturally having been planned by Catherine. Generally, the two sisters would walk down to the armory together under the pretext of visiting an old friend, which part of the time was quite true. Then Will and Elizabeth would sneak off to some remote corner, leaving Catherine alone to fend for herself, which suited the headstrong girl just fine. Will's old father, quite happy that his son had found so beautiful and worthy a love, had no qualms about keeping the romance a secret. He did, however, refuse to let Catherine wander off through Port Royal alone, which was the first and foremost rule Governor Swann placed upon his daughters. Old Turner would sometimes allow Catherine to accompany him on errands that took him just outside of her boundaries, but never risked going out into the heart of the city that was not carefully patrolled by her father's guards. Still, these hours alone reading, dreaming, or going out with the old blacksmith became an essential part of Catherine's life. She always found the circumstances of Elizabeth and Will's love amusing. It was always assumed that if either of the sisters did anything outside of their father's wishes, it would be Catherine. The fact that Elizabeth, the perfect angelic daughter, had fallen in love with a common blacksmith always gave Catherine great enjoyment. She was nevertheless slightly jealous of Elizabeth. It was ironic that her sister could achieve love, one of the freedoms that Catherine wished and prayed for with all her might, and she with all her spirit could not.  
Any jealousy Catherine harbored towards Elizabeth during the lovers' secret rendezvous' quickly vanished when she was back in the presence of her sister. It was hard to dislike Elizabeth.  
"Do we go to the armory today, Tess?"  
"Sadly no, but I do have a bit of news that I believe you will find exciting," Elizabeth replied. "I assume you have heard of the many attacks made on the wealthy families of Jamaica." Catherine had indeed heard. Someone was attacking and pillaging the homes of anyone who had any sort of treasure or fortune accumulated while in any of the old Spanish colonies. Reputedly, the plunderers were a band of pirates trying to recover a stolen treasure. There were even rumors of ghosts and curses connected with the miscreants. Sure enough, everyone attacked had only had one thing taken: some type of ancient, heathen gold.  
"Yes, I believe I know what you're talking about," said Catherine sarcastically, getting herself playfully slapped.  
"Well, a pirate captain has been captured, and it is believed that he may be connected with the crimes. He is to go on trial today and Father has given permission for you and I to go watch!" Catherine could hardly believe her luck. Not only were they going far into the city, almost to the harbor, but they were going to see a real live pirate! Only in her dreams had Catherine ever before beheld one of these enemies of law and order. She imagined an old, weather beaten and scarred man with a scruffy beard to his belt, a red and black coat, a parrot on his shoulder and gold coins strung throughout his hair and beard. Elizabeth laughed to see the sharp glint of excitement reflected in her sister's fiery eyes. 


	2. Sparrow

Chapter Two-Sparrow  
  
Captain Jack Sparrow sat looking up through the small window in the ceiling of his prison cell. No matter how many times he landed in prison he never got used to the feeling. He sat leaning against the dank, mold covered stone wall with his legs bent in front of him, absentmindedly picking a tiny scrap of the rancid meat he had been given by the guards from one of his many gold teeth. Whenever he heard one of the guards coming down the dungeon like corridor, he slipped the knife he had been using back into his boot until they passed.  
"Fat stupid oafs," the pirate muttered to himself. Anyone who was stupid enough to take a pirate into custody and not check every square inch of him for weapons deserved whatever he would get when Jack finally managed to break out. It was inevitable; really, this prison was just presenting slightly more of a problem than the others he had been in before. He couldn't pick the lock with his knife, and the idiot dog that he had almost gotten to bring him the keys had run off when someone opened a door in another part of the prison. This really was turning out to be quite tiresome. He really shouldn't even be here, considering the authorities found him doing a good deed, for once. He had snuck onto the new royal flagship, the Interceptor, just to have a look about the place, when he saw this girl fall into the water. Denying all his natural instincts, he dove in a fished her out and was immediately put in irons. The girl was pulled away so quickly that Jack didn't even get to take a decent look at her before he was on his way to jail. Mores the pity, he always enjoyed a lady, as opposed to his customary wenches. Little did Jack know that soon he would indeed see the girl he rescued, even if he wouldn't recognize her, for it was none other than Elizabeth Swann, who had been attending the promotion ceremony of the now Commodore Norrington nearby with her father. Catherine had no desire to attend and had managed to stay away under the pretext of a terrible headache, but Elizabeth had been forced to go because Norrington was the man Governor Swann had been eyeing for his younger daughter's hand, a fact which Elizabeth was not aware of.  
Jack would see not only Elizabeth but both of the beautiful Swann sisters very shortly at his trial.  
"Useless, this trial," thought Jack to himself. "They're only goin' ter 'ang me anyway. Ridiculous 'ow these civilized gits 'ave to maintain all their stupid rules." The pirate abandoned thoughts of the ineffectualness of his trial and resumed picking his teeth and pondering his escape.  
At the very same moment Captain Jack Sparrow was devising a plan of escape, Catherine and Elizabeth Swann were eating their midday meal at the Governor's Mansion hurriedly so as not to be late for the trial. As they sat at the mahogany table picking at silver plates of delicately cooked fish, the two sisters wondered as to why they were being allowed to attend something as risqué as the trial of an infamous pirate when they weren't even allowed to walk out of the front gates of their own house.  
"I wonder if this trial has anything to do with the man who pulled me out of the harbor," Elizabeth remarked as she swirled the wine in her glass.  
"Perhaps. That would be a possible reason we are being so graciously permitted to attend," replied Catherine with more than a hint of cynicism. "Yes, that would make sense. That's clever of you Tess, I didn't even think of that." Catherine flashed her sister a playful grin. Just as she was about to flick a piece of fish across the table, the girls' dowdy, tightlipped old governess Mrs. Croft came to fetch them to the courthouse.  
  
An hour later, the Swann sisters were glad of their early departure from the Mansion. As the stuffy courtroom began to fill with people, Catherine and Elizabeth were grateful to Mrs. Croft for getting them there early enough to find seats in front of one of the few windows, even if they had to endure their governess' strict presence for a few minutes longer than was necessary. Catherine dabbed her forehead with her handkerchief as an ocean breeze played across the back of her graceful neck, sticky with sweat, and filled her nostrils with the salty scent of the sea. She spotted Will who was sitting on the floor with the commoners who came to watch the trial and he immediately began making faces at her. She stuck her tongue out at him, getting herself scolded by Mrs. Croft. As Will was winking at Elizabeth who was pretending not to notice, but giving him sly looks from behind her fan anyway, Catherine wondered why Will's father was not present. At that precise moment the members of the court entered, interrupting her train of thought. She leaned forward until she was sitting on the very edge of her seat as the usual official statements were made, filled with anticipation of the moment the prisoner would appear. Just when she thought she could not bear the excitement any longer, the door at the back of the room opened and two guards emerged, the pirate in irons walking in calmly behind them. It was at that moment that Catherine Swann first laid eyes on Captain Jack Sparrow.  
Catherine's breath caught in her throat as she looked on the man standing in front of the court. He was nothing at all like the mean- looking grizzled old rogue she had imagined; Jack Sparrow was young, maybe thirty, with worn leather boots that came up almost to his knee, faded brown trousers, a billowing shirt that had once been white and was worn untied at the collar revealing a strong neck and a sliver of a muscular, brown chest. He wore a plain leather vest over the shirt, as well as numerous wide leather straps which were all connected to a beaten belt with a large gold buckle that had several empty slots and holsters which would normally be occupied by all sorts of weaponry. He had long brown hair that fell, knotted, to the bottom of his shoulder blades. His hair was adorned with an assortment of beads, a few gold coins, a long, thin bone, and a large red scarf he wore tied across his forehead. His beard, which grew from only the tip of his chin, hung before his neck in two beaded braids, accompanied by a short, very dashing(so Catherine thought) mustache, framing out a pair of full lips which seemed almost out of place on his strong, handsome face. Along with the gold in his hair, a few shining gold hoops hung from his ears. His skin was a deep shade of tan, browned by the sun, and complemented his extremely dark eyes which were the deep, rich brown of unrefined coffee and were full of exuberance and life. It was this fiery set of eyes that Catherine could not stop staring at as Jack Sparrow took his place on the raised platform of the accused, eyes that seemed to laugh mockingly at the situation their owner had found himself in.  
The pirate did not seem distressed in the least by the severity of the situation; in fact he seemed jovially indifferent. He stood looking up at the court as if to say "Well, what are you waiting for?"  
"So, that's a pirate! He's not at all what we had pictured. He doesn't seem very distraught, does he Cate.Cate?" Elizabeth looked at her sister expecting an answer and instead saw her staring intently ahead, her mouth slightly open as if in amazement and a strange light in her eyes that Elizabeth had never seen before. She followed her elder sister's gaze to find it locked onto the person of Captain Jack Sparrow. Elizabeth quickly turned her head back towards Catherine, surprised amusement in her expression. "Well we certainly didn't predict this!"  
"What?" said Catherine distantly, still looking at the pirate.  
"Be careful, Cate, Father wouldn't like this in the least." With that Elizabeth turned back to the trial. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Are you or are you not the infamous pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow?"  
"Yes."  
"Have you been leading the recent attacks on the people of Jamaica?"  
"Which people?"  
"You know perfectly well which people."  
"Obviously I don't."  
"Certain wealthy families."  
"Not that I recall."  
"You realize you may very well be hanged for this if you continue to refuse to cooperate?"  
"O' course I do, what do ye take me for, an idiot?" At this the crowd burst into laughter.  
"I will not take any more of your insolence, boy!" At this last statement the pirate's care free demeanor disappeared rapidly. He leaned menacingly over the railing of the platform, glaring at his accuser. The crowd hushed as a low, threatening voice said "I wouldn't say that again if I was you."  
"Do you dare to threaten the Governor, a member of this court and the representative of the King on this island!?!" Sparrow grinned, his gold teeth flashing, and let out a low, guttural laugh.  
"Why should I be afraid of you or the King? I'm Cap'n Jack Sparrow!"  
The court house fell silent at the sheer nerve of this statement, the only sound being the soft fluttering of the ladies' fans. The faces of the members of the court were grave. They eyes of the prosecutor, who was none other than Governor Swann himself, were filled with loathing.  
"The court will take a moment to discuss its decision."  
"Took ye long enough," muttered Jack as he turned away from the dais. Care free again, he stuck out his elbows, propped his arms on one corner of the railing surrounding him and kicked his feet up to rest on the other, hanging there as if in a hammock. He whistled as he looked over the crowd, all of whom were either discussing his shocking remarks or simply gaping stupidly at him. He chuckled to himself at the easily amused colonists, when suddenly his laughter stopped as his eyes came to rest on a woman. Jack looked on the only woman in the stifling room not fanning herself, watched as a tendril of auburn hair fell loose from her pinned curls and waved in the breeze from the nearby window, gleaming red in the sunlight. His eyes traveled across her beautiful face and stopped on her own, spirited eyes which were, to his surprise, fixed solidly on his own face. He watched her, puzzled at the way she was looking at him, neither shocked, disgusted, or hatefully. There was something in the way she looked at him that made it impossible for Jack to turn away. Elizabeth looked back and forth from her sister to the pirate and on their unbreakable gaze.  
"No, Father wouldn't like this at all."  
The two were brought back to the courtroom as the members of the court prepared to present their decision. No one except for Catherine expressed any shock or alarm when it was declared that Captain Jack Sparrow would be hanged the very next day. 


	3. The Black Pearl

*Just like everyone to know that I actually got to see the movie today (it rocks), so I should actually be able to write a little faster. I also realized I kinda goofed up with Will's father. Guess I'll have to fix that one. (  
  
Chapter Three-The Black Pearl  
  
Catherine and Elizabeth Swann were the very last people to leave the courtroom after the trial was over and Jack Sparrow had been escorted back to his prison cell. Catherine still seemed to be in some weird, entranced state of shock, but Elizabeth did not want to try and talk to her in the presence of Mrs. Croft. When they were back at home in their room, alone, she started to stir Catherine.  
"Cate, are you alright?"  
"What? Oh, yes. I'm fine."  
"You seemed pretty taken with that pirate today, are you sure you're going to be alright?"  
"What, taken with the pirate? No, I mean, he was quite handsome, but he's just a pirate. They're not even decent people, why would I care what happened to him, I just saw him once today."  
"But Cate."  
"No, I'm fine. Really. Did you see Will making all those faces at you today? It's a good thing his father wasn't there." Catherine seemed to be her usual self again, running around trying to think of ways to annoy her father while also trying to break out of her contained life. To Elizabeth, though, she was still just a little different. That gleam in her eyes was still there, and didn't go away all that day.  
That night as the Swann girls were preparing for sleep in their room in the Governor's Mansion, Will Turner had just returned from making arrangements for his father, whom he had found dead upon his return from the trial. It was very strange for Old Turner to have died that day, suddenly, when he had been quite healthy and showed no signs of illness. Will though it must have been heat stroke, as his father worked during the day in the blazing Jamaica heat in long sleeves rolled all the way down. Will had often wondered why his father never rolled up his sleeves, it would have relieved much of the heat exhaustion he suffered. In fact, now that he thought about it, Will had never seen his father's arms, they were always covered. Will had never gotten to know his father very well. A handsome, thin, dark haired man of twenty four, Will was quiet and never acted out of place. His father had only been in his life for a year or two when he left Port Royal leaving a fifteen year old Will with no explanation of where he was going or why. He had only been back for a year before the trial, and as Will was the one who did the most extensive work in the armory he never had much of a chance to really get to know his father, and now he never would. Confused at the day's events, Will began to do what he always did to get his mind off things; he went to work.  
At the same time Will was hammering away in the armory and the Swann girls laid down in their beds, Jack Sparrow was sitting awake in his cell listening to the three pirates imprisoned next to him trying to think of ways to get out. They were all extremely stupid, so Jack sat in the corner of his cell with his hat down over his eyes pretending to be asleep to avoid conversation. Just then, a strange wind blew through Port Royal. The girl's lamps blew out, sparks blew off of Will's hammer, and the stream of moonlight coming in through the roof of Jack's cell was obscured by a thick fog settling over the town. As all four sat up in wonder, a loud explosion shattered the silence of the night.  
"Cannon fire!! Pirate attack!!" came the cries from the fort, as a dreadful ship with black sails fired over and over again into the town. People were running through the streets trying to escape from the line of fire as buildings were one by one destroyed, when all of the sudden a mob of vicious pirates streamed into Port Royal, killing everyone they met. Amid the screams and blasts from the cannon, Will grabbed a sword, two knives, and an axe off his work table and ran into the streets. A cannon ball blasted through the prison wall creating an opening for Jack's cell mates who naturally left him with a "Bad luck, mate," and ran off into the night. Catherine and Elizabeth ran to their window only to see the city in flames and a large group of pirates running towards the mansion. Catherine ran to wake their maid and tell the servants she could find to get out, while Elizabeth ran towards the front door where a loud booming knock was heard. As she reached the top of the stairs, the butler reached for the door.  
"No!! Don't open it!!" Elizabeth cried, but she was too late. The door opened and the butler was shot in the face by a hideous pirate. She gasped and the band of ruffians looked up towards her. Afraid for her life, she ran through the upper hallways looking for Catherine, but she could not find her anywhere. Elizabeth ran back to their room and as she did heard the pirates on the landing outside. As they forced her door open, she ran into the next room, tried to barricade the door as quickly as possible, and ran into a closet, trying not to breathe. The next moment, they were in the room.  
"Come out, poppet, you can't 'ide, ye know. The gold calls to us."  
Gold? Elizabeth racked her mind as to what gold they could possibly be talking about. Suddenly, she reached for the medallion hanging about her neck. She had found it in the armory when she was a little girl and had kept it for many years, never knowing what it was. As she was wondering what they could possibly want with it, the light from the crack of the door disappeared.  
"Hello, poppet." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Catherine, having rushed all the servants she could find out of the house and into the trees behind the mansion, turned around realizing her sister was not there.  
"Elizabeth!! Tess!! Where are you!?! Elizabeth!!!" Grasping the fact that her little sister was nowhere near, she turned and ran back to the house just in time to see the band of pirates dragging Elizabeth out into the night.  
"Tess!! NO!!"  
Will, fighting off as many of the pirates as he could as he ran through the streets of Port Royal, heard a familiar voice cry behind him. He spun around to see Elizabeth being hauled down the road to the harbor.  
"Elizabeth!" he cried, making to run after her, but just that moment something bashed him in the head and he fell to the ground unconscious. Back in the prison, two of the murderous band walked in, apparently searching for the armory, and seeing Jack, stopped.  
"Well well, if it isn't Cap'n Jack Sparrow. Last time I saw ye you were screaming at the back o' the ship as we sailed away. Looks like yer situation ain't improved much." At this the two pirates cackled and Jack made a smart remark in retort. The pirate who had spoken reached into the cell to choke Jack, and his hand fell into the now returned thin stream of moonlight which showed his arm to be that of a decaying corpse.  
"That's in'tresting. I suppose there really is a curse, then?" said Jack as he stared at the bony hand in front of him. The two pirates gave him a menacing look and walked out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Elizabeth soon found herself aboard a foreboding ship filled with pirates. After being hassled by several of them, the captain, a frightening looking man with sickly blue eyes, a scraggly yellow beard, a massive hat and a monkey on his shoulder emerged from his cabin.  
"An' who might this pretty lass be?" he said in a voice that sent a shiver down Elizabeth's spine.  
"Don' know Captain, but she 'as the gold piece an' she demanded right of parlay."  
"Did she now?" The captain drew closer to his prey. "An' what might the lady wish to say to Captain Barbossa?"  
"I have come to negotiate terms to end the violence on Port Royal."  
"Sorry lass, but ye are in no fit state to bargain."  
"Oh really," said Elizabeth as she pulled the medallion off her neck and dangled it over the side of the ship. "Then I suppose you don't need this."  
"Alright lass, giv'ee the gold, and we shall sail out of Port Royal and leave ye un 'armed." Elizabeth handed over the medallion, being at least partially satisfied with the terms and really having no other choice. "What might yer name be?" Barbossa asked as he turned over the gold in his hand.  
"Elizabeth." she hesitated, not wanting Barbossa to know he had captured the governor's daughter. "Elizabeth Turner." At this the pirates gave each other curious looks.  
"Alright men, make ready to set sail," Barbossa yelled out to his crew.  
"What!?!" cried Elizabeth. "You've got to take me back to port; it was part of the bargain! What about the pirate's code!?!"  
"Well ye see, I never told ye I would let ye go, only that I would leave ye un'armed. An' the code is not as binding as some would think. Get used to it, lass, ye'll be sailing with us for a long while. Welcome to the Black Pearl." 


	4. Elizabeth

Chapter Four-Elizabeth  
  
Catherine ran through the streets of Port Royal as dawn was breaking, looking for her sister. She found Will lying in the road, unconscious, and immediately began shaking him. He awoke slowly and began rubbing the back of his neck; after a few seconds he looked around him and up at Catherine.  
"Elizabeth!! They've taken her!!"  
"I know, Will, I know!! Come on, we've got to go find my father."  
When Will and Elizabeth reached the fort and Governor Swann, they found him and many of his officers trying to survey the damage to the city.  
  
"Father! The pirates have taken Elizabeth! We've got to go rescue her, you must send out a ship!" Governor Swann, tired and grieved, pulled his eldest daughter to him.  
"I know she's been taken. I thought you had as well when no one could find you at the house. Commodore Norrington is in charge of the fleet, he must make the decision." The Commodore, looking quite calm and composed as he casually studied the map laid out before him, glanced towards Catherine and Will as he spoke.  
"I am afraid we cannot send a ship after the Black Pearl. We have no idea where it has gone and we have much more pressing matters to take care of before we just send troops out after one woman."  
"What do you mean we cannot send a ship out? What about Jack Sparrow, he's a pirate, he'll be able to find them, make a deal with him!" Will cried in exasperation. "We've got to get her back!"  
"Please Commodore, you want to marry my sister and you're just going to let her go? Talk to the pirate! Don't hang him today, we need his help!" Hot tears filled Catherine's eyes as she pleaded with the naval officer, while Will stared angrily at the man.  
"I am sorry Catherine, but we must not act rashly. Turner, you forget your place. A blacksmith is in no position to order a commodore to do anything." Norrington glared at Will as he spoke. It was easy to sense the feelings Will had for Elizabeth, and the commodore was not keen on competition. Catherine continued to cry as she screamed at everyone, and Will swung his arm over his head and lodged his axe in the center of the large map. Norrington removed it calmly. "No ship will be sent out, and the pirate will be hanged as planned. Good day." Catherine gave one last desperate look at her father who turned away from her in anguish.  
"Go home, Catherine, there is naught you can do." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Will walked Catherine back to the mansion, leaving her at the gates.  
  
"Stay here. I'm going to go get Sparrow out of the prison and we shall go get Elizabeth."  
"Not without me you won't. I'm not going to leave my baby sister in the hands of vicious pirates while I sit on my ass fanning myself. I'm coming with you." Catherine began to walk back towards town.  
"I thought you'd say that." Will grabbed Catherine about the waist, hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her into the mansion kicking and screaming. He deposited her in the parlor, walked out and forced the door shut with a chair. "I'm sorry, but you are going to stay here. This is not a task for a woman."  
Minutes later Will Turner was facing Captain Jack Sparrow.  
"Who're you?" said the pirate, cocking his head to one side and staring puzzledly at the blacksmith. "Come to make a mockery of me, eh?"  
"I've come to strike a bargain with you. The pirates who attacked Port Royal have taken a woman, Elizabeth Swann. I have heard that you know of the Black Pearl, and I will get you out if you will take me to it." Will looked determinedly at Jack, who raised an eyebrow and ran his tongue over his teeth. He was quite amused by this serious faced boy who stared at him so coolly.  
"Yeah, I know o' the Pearl, but there's no way to track 'er down. Sorry, mate, 'fraid ye're on ye're own." Jack turned away from the cell door to continue pondering his escape, when he twisted his head around for another look at Will. "Who in hell are ye, anyways?"  
"Will Turner. I'm a blacksmith." At this Jack raised his eyebrow yet again and stared at Will, his eyes squinted as if in concentration.  
"Will Turner, eh? S'pose its William, hmm?" Will nodded. "Named for yer father, I'd imagine."  
"That's right." Jack stared at the boy again, arms crossed, thinking.  
  
"Very well, Will Turner. Spring me from this cell and I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonnie lass. I don' know 'ow ye're planning on opening this cell, though." Will started at hearing Sparrow refer to Elizabeth as his bonnie lass. He would willingly die for her, but as far as he knew Elizabeth thought of him as a good friend and nothing more, even if she did sneak out to see him alone all the time. Will did not think very highly of himself when it came to Elizabeth. He snapped back to reality at Jack's inquiry about the cell.  
"I built these doors." Will slid a bench under one hinge of the door, pushed against it, and the entire door popped out of its frame.  
"Well me boy," said Jack as he grabbed his gun, compass, cutlass and hat off of the jailer's table, "Let's go get a ship." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Catherine finally managed to get out of the parlor by climbing through an open window. She ran back inside and up to her room, pulled off her robe and threw on a dress over the nightgown she had been running around in all night and sprinted out of the door to the jail. When she arrived, she found the dislodged door and the empty cell. She immediately started off for the harbor. When she arrived, men were running about shouting to each other that the pirate and another man had taken the HMS Dauntless. She followed the soldiers who were climbing onto the Interceptor in pursuit, led by Commodore Norrington, and easily got aboard herself without being noticed. As they pulled up next to the Dauntless, throwing ropes across to bind the two ships together, every man on the Interceptor swung themselves onto the adjoining ship. As soon as all the men were on the Dauntless, Catherine looked up to see Will and the dashing Captain Sparrow swing themselves aboard the Interceptor and sever the ropes connecting it to the Dauntless. The two men landed right in front of her.  
  
"Oh no, Catherine."  
Will and Jack stood there staring at the woman who just seemed to pop up in front of them, Will with a look of almost pain, and Jack with curious shock.  
"Catherine, what are you doing!?! I told you to stay in the Mansion, do you have any idea." Will was suddenly stopped by Catherine's hand being placed roughly across his mouth.  
"Oh do be quiet, Will. If you haven't forgotten, it was MY sister who was taken, and I daresay she is quite as important to me as she is to you. And secondly, how DARE you order me to do anything!! You've known me for ten years, since when have I ever taken orders from somebody without force? I don't do what my father tells me to, why should I listen to you? I told you I was coming, and I am, and if you say this is no task for a woman one more time I'll knock you off this ship with my bare hands!" Will stood silent. Catherine was quite a picture standing there yelling at him, hands on her hips defiantly and her hair disheveled by the recent chaos and sea breeze. If nothing else, Will knew not to mess with her when she had that crazed look in her eye. A man could get killed trying to control a woman like that. Jack, on the other hand, was quite amused by the whole situation.  
"I like her. Sounds to me like the lass will be joining us on our little cruise, eh?" he said as he mockingly tipped his hat. "Milady. Captain Jack Sparrow at your service." Catherine, being far from stupid, glared at the pirate.  
"Don't you 'milady' me. I won't take any impertinence off of you, either. I don't care if you are an infamous pirate; you've never had to face the likes of me." With that she stormed off deck to go find something to get her wild hair out of her face. Jack played with his beard as his eyes followed Catherine until she disappeared below deck.  
"Feisty, that one. Oh yes, I do like her." 


	5. Tortuga

*Want to thank everybody for the reviews. Makes me happy. I would also like to say in response to a review about the whole love at first site thing, I'm really not doing that so much, that whole stare down thing just worked for me at the time, but things'll get mixed up with Jack and Catherine, I promise! (writing is not my forte, so bear with me if I do something crazy or boring. I'm just a very bored person with an active imagination)  
  
Chapter Five-Tortuga  
  
Catherine Swann stormed from cabin to kitchen to storage room below the deck of the HMS Interceptor. She was furious at both Will Turner and Captain Jack Sparrow. How could Will even think that he would just leave her at home to wait like a good little girl while he went gallivanting off to save HER sister from a shipload of demented pirates? She was in no way the kind of person to miss out on that adventure, even if her sister's life wasn't at stake. When Catherine had slammed enough doors and kicked enough walls to sufficiently release her anger towards Will (while stubbing her toe in the process), she decided to turn her thoughts to Jack. Why exactly was she mad at Jack? He was a roguish pirate, not some stuffy gentleman; he could hardly be expected to be courteous. As Catherine continued to fume she became angrier with herself, especially regarding her initial reaction to the pirate. She was livid that she had allowed herself to be sucked in like that, to be that smitten with a man she had just laid eyes on and a pirate at that! She was also beginning to feel quite embarrassed at her childish behavior at the trial. She knew that Jack had seen her staring at him, and far from being hung like he was meant to be, he was standing just above deck. Catherine really didn't want to have to face him after the way she had looked at him before, but she knew she had to surface some time. There was Elizabeth; she was, after all, the prime reason Catherine was in this predicament in the first place. She gathered herself and went up to join the two men. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"If ye don't mind me askin', who was that anyway?" Jack inquired of Will. "She seemed slightly miffed if ye ask me. What'd ye do to 'er?"  
"That was Catherine Swann, she's Elizabeth's sister."  
"Elizabeth would be the one we're off to have the jolly pleasure of rescuing, eh?"  
"Yes. Catherine is angry with me because I tried to leave her in Port Royal while I went off to try and get Elizabeth back."  
"Didn't think she seemed the type to sit at home knitting." Sparrow mused as he absentmindedly steered the ship out of the way of a large rock, making Will jump slightly.  
"No, she isn't. She can get quite mad at times. She's actually quite frightening when she puts her mind to it."  
"Frightening, did you say, Will? That wasn't quite the effect I had in mind," said Catherine, surprising the two men with her sudden reappearance. Though much more composed, she still was in a very dangerous mood. She stared at Will as if daring him to take that statement any further. Will grinned sheepishly and turned back to the rope he had been tying down, trying to push his black hair out of his face in the process. Jack, amused as always, gave the headstrong girl a huge smile.  
"Don't take any sass off of anybody, do ye love?" He leaned forward almost drunkenly, apparently trying to pour on the charm. Unfortunately for him, Catherine was not so easily swayed.  
"I don't take any sass off of any man," she replied. "And don't call me 'love'." Jack's grin got even wider.  
"Well, love, ye ain't never met a man who can dish out sass like Cap'n Jack Sparrow. And, lucky for me, I'm the on'ee one who knows 'ow to get yer sister back, so ye'll be doin' what I say, savvy?"  
"Perfectly. But I'll tell you again, you've never had to face the likes of me, so you just watch yourself, 'savvy'?" Catherine glared at the pirate, who just grinned back at her as he swaggered back and forth behind the helm.  
"Savvy, love." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Hours later, the three man (and woman) crew pulled the HMS Interceptor into port on the island of Tortuga. Catherine and Will were both shocked at the state of the small town of ruffians and miscreants. There were ancient oil lamps, half of which were broken, dimly lighting the streets muddy with ale and God knows what else. The streets were filled to the brim with drunken sailors with their heads immersed in barrels of swill and tickling the multitude of whores in bright, bosom bearing dresses and cheap makeup. This was a far cry from Port Royal and the two were quite alarmed and disgusted at what they saw, but Jack was perfectly comfortable, if not quite at home in these rough surroundings. He apparently frequented the place quite often, for her was promptly slapped across the face by two of the aforementioned prostitutes before they had been there five minutes.  
"Friends of yours?" Catherine asked as she threw her hair over her shoulder. Jack just shot her a lopsided grin. She shook her head and turned to her friend. "Lovely place they've got here, eh Will?"  
"Oh yes," he replied as he wrinkled his nose at the smell of sweat, beer, and urine. "Quite lovely."  
Soon the three travelers found themselves in the Faithful Bride, a popular tavern for pirates, ruffians, and basically anyone who wanted to get drunk and fight a perfect stranger, with one of Jack's old friends whom they had found sleeping with two very large pigs.  
"Now," said Jack as he staggered across the room sloshing ale out of two very large mugs, jumping aside to avoid colliding with two men as they barreled across the tavern after each other, "You (pointing at Will) stand over 'ere and keep your eyes open. You, 'fair lady', get somewhere close to Will and try not to be seen too much. Don't wan' ter be mistaken for a bar wench by one o' these drunken curs, eh? Just sit yer pretty self down righ' there, love," he said, his words already beginning to slur together. Catherine, resisting her natural instinct to contest this order at the site of the occupants of the large room, sat down huffily on a stool that was in between Will and the post behind which Jack and his friend, Gibbs, were talking.  
"Alrigh', Jack," said the scruffy, middle aged sailor, "What's yer proposition?"  
"I plan to go after the Black Pearl." Gibbs choked on his ale at the mention of the dreaded ship.  
"You know the manner o' that ship better than anyone, so I gotta ask how exactly ye plan on doin' that wi'out getting' inter a worse situation than ye' did last time?"  
"This time I've got what ye'd call leverage. Ye see that boy," the pirate nodded towards Will, who was trying to avoid a very large, drunk wench who seemed to have taken a fancy to him, "That is the only child o' Bootstrap Bill Turner." Gibbs' eyes widened.  
"Ye don' say, now? Well, seems to me that our fortunes be changin'. I'll get ye a crew together by noon. It'll be difficult findin' one as mad as ye, otherwise I'd have em by dawn. Cheers, mate."  
"Aye, cheers indeed," replied Jack with a smile and a conniving look in his eyes as the two men banged their mugs together, emptied them, and slammed them down on the battered, beer crusted old table. Neither noticed Catherine's ear pressed against the thin curtain separating them, no more than they saw the anger that began to spread across her face. 


	6. Jack

Chapter Six-Jack  
  
After spending a good hour in Tortuga talking to Gibbs and getting some bare supplies for the evening, Catherine, Will, and Jack headed back to the Interceptor for the night. Catherine was in a very bad mood after the conversation she'd just heard; Will was smart enough not to say anything to her and Jack was too drunk to say anything to anyone. When they were back on board, the three went to their separate cabins for the night. After an hour or so of tossing and turning, however, Catherine gave up on sleep and went above deck. She sat there on the railing just in front of the helm, legs dangling, watching the peaceful night sky disappear into the sea. Despite the circumstances which brought her to this point, she realized that this moment she spent gazing at the stars above the open sea, alone, with her hair blowing in the soft ocean wind was the best moment of her entire life. There were many things that brought her here, and much that she would still have to do, but at this single second in time, she was independent and absolutely free. And then Jack decided to wake up.  
Her perfect moment was gone the second the pirate came up on deck after sleeping off the ale. At the sight of him she remembered the things he had said to Gibbs and seeing him swagger carelessly across the ship did not improve her current attitude towards him. She scowled as he approached her.  
"Lovely night, eh darlin'?"  
"Lovely for who? I'm sure you're enjoying it, about to get a crew to go after your precious ship with you and handing over Will to get it." Jack squinted as if trying to listen hard to what she had just said.  
"What was that?"  
"You heard me. No more of your deceit, Jack, what exactly is going on with my sister and how is Will involved." Catherine crossed her arms at sat staring at Sparrow, waiting for an answer, when Jack shrugged.  
"Oh alrigh' then. You wanna know, so I'll tell ye. Yer sister has been taken by a crew o' cursed pirates. They took Aztec treasure wi' a curse put on it by heathen gods, and they will remain cursed until they return every bit o' the treasure to the stone chest it came from on an island that no one can find unless they already know where it is and e'er person involved in the takin' has to pay a blood price. I'm assumin' that yer sister had the last piece o' the gold." Catherine shook her head, unprepared for this easy flow of information, especially information that was this bizarre. She hadn't even expected Jack to tell her anything, much less all that. After taking a moment to let it all sink in, Catherine spoke.  
"Wait, how is Elizabeth supposed to pay the blood price? She's not a pirate, our mother died in England and our father is definitely not a pirate. I don't understand."  
"Ah," said Jack, smiling as he raised his eyebrows and tilted his head towards the girl. "That be the trick, righ' there. Elizabeth can't pay the blood price. The filthy curs got the wrong person. She be about the right age as the person they do need and I'd imagine she gave them a different name than 'er own." Catherine's face grew paler as realization dawned on her.  
"Let me guess: the name would be Turner. Will's father wasn't really a blacksmith, was he? That's why he was only in Port Royal for three years out of Will's life, why he always kept his sleeves rolled down. He didn't want anyone to see he was a pirate, to discover the brand. That's why he died that day. He knew they were coming and didn't want them to get him. He killed himself." Jack practically danced at Catherine's response.  
"Very good, love. Ye're quite good at this pirate thing, ye know.smart. Will's father was Bootstrap Bill Turner, one o' the crew o' the Black Pearl when they took the treasure."  
"I still don't understand something," the girl said with a puzzled look on her face as her hair whipped around her head in the night breeze. "Why wasn't Will's father with the rest of the crew, why did he leave? And how exactly are you involved in this? Why are you so keen on chasing after the Pearl?" Jack's good mood slowly died down as she looked inquisitively at him, waiting for a response. He suddenly was much more sober than Catherine had seen him since they left Port Royal. He crossed his arms and stared at the deck.  
"That's a tale for another night, love." As Catherine watched the pirate sitting there, lost in his own thoughts, she saw a side of him that she hadn't before. All of the sudden he was no longer a pirate, a drunk, or a mad man; he was a man who had been wronged, who had lost something and was filled with longing to get it back. She turned back to the stars, wondering who exactly this man was and not slightly troubled at the slight twinge that had risen in her chest at the sight of him sitting there looking so grieved and desperate. Hours passed as the two sat there staring into the night sky and the sea, each deep in their own thoughts, but each still slightly thinking of the other. As day was breaking Catherine, who had fallen asleep, awoke and went groggily back to her cabin. Jack, however, was still wide awake and more than a little uneasy. He watched the sleepy woman disappear below deck and thought back to the day of his trial and a girl who was staring at him from the crowd. That girl seemed so different from this spitfire he found himself stuck with, they couldn't be the same.  
"But then why did ye tell 'er all that, Jack?" he muttered to himself as he absentmindedly stroked his beard. "That's it, ol' boy," he said as he hauled himself off the deck, "ye've finally gone completely mad."  
At noon the three left the Interceptor to find their new makeshift crew lined up on the pier and Gibbs smiling widely, obviously very proud of himself. Minutes later they were all aboard the fastest ship in the Caribbean blazing a trail to the dreaded Isla de la Muerta, with Captain Sparrow smiling happily at the helm. It was a wide assortment of strange people that made up this new crew of Jack's; there was a dwarf, a mute whose parrot spoke for him, and a woman whose ship Jack had stolen, to mention a few. They were surprisingly efficient, though, as Gibbs promised, and 'crazy to boot'. You had to be crazy to follow a madman like Jack on a suicide mission like this. They made excellent time. Part of the reason for that, like everything else, was attributed to Jack. He wouldn't even allow the crew to take in the sails during a horrific storm. He made quite a picture, Jack did, standing braced against the wind and rain, one hand on the helm, another clutching his unique compass, and a look of elation on his face. Catherine wondered at this man who would pass out drunk under a table to avoid confrontation one day and would face a hurricane the next. He puzzled her greatly, and it became a personal quest of hers to learn the truth of Captain Jack Sparrow.  
The next day, after the storm had subsided and they were getting close to their destination, Catherine told Will what Jack had told her that night outside Tortuga. She hesitated to tell him about his father, but, to her relief, Jack had already told him that part of the story. They both agreed that they needed to find out Jack's role in the tale, so they went to the only person they could think of: Gibbs.  
"Mr. Gibbs, I wonder if we could have a word with you, please?" asked Catherine as she and her friend approached the scruffy sailor.  
"Why certainly, Miss Catherine. What might I be able to help ye with?" he replied, only too glad to talk to the spirited and charming young lady. She and Will then told Gibbs everything they had been told, and asked him where Jack came into play. The older man sighed as he sat down on a nearby bucket. "There's a lot ye don' know 'bout Jack Sparrow, and most of it goes back to the Black Pearl." He then told the pair how Jack had been captain of the Pearl, and how the crew led by Barbossa mutinied and marooned Jack before they went on to Isla de la Muerta. Catherine gasped as she thought about the captain left alone on an island for three days with nothing but a single shot pistol, his ship and crew taken from him. She looked up at the man swaggering behind the helm, and began to understand. She at least understood why he came across as mad half the time. She suddenly felt a new appreciation for Jack Sparrow; he, after all, was not so different from her. They both lived their lives with one goal in mind: hers was freedom in the form of escape; his was freedom in the form of his stolen ship.  
"How did he escape from that island?" Will, who was still embedded in conversation, asked. Gibbs was in the midst of telling some far fetched tale about a raft made of sea turtles when Jack's voice rang out over the ship:  
"Throw out the anchor, men. Welcome to the Isla de la Muerta!" 


	7. Isla de la Muerta

Chapter Seven-Isla de la Muerta  
  
The crew anchored the Interceptor just where they would be out of view of the Black Pearl where it was anchored. They all stared at the feared ship and the dreaded, barren island with silent awe, which was only broken by Jack's merry shouts.  
"Alrigh' lads. oh, and lasses, sorry Anna Maria, Cate.keep a watch while young Mr. Turner and me go ashore." Catherine ran at the two as they made for a rowboat.  
"Wait! What about me, I want to come too!" she yelled, starting to get that crazed, rebellious attitude going. Will got ready for an argument, but Jack put his hand out to stop Will from saying anything. The pirate looked at the angry girl for just a moment, then said almost gently,  
"Catherine, stay 'ere this time. It'll be easier with just two, an'.." Jack just sort of stopped as Catherine looked at him, surprised that he called her Catherine and waiting for the rest of that sentence.  
"And."  
"Just stay. Please." She (and everybody else for that matter) was so shocked that he didn't give some pathetic excuse as to why Catherine couldn't go and that he said please that she only nodded and stepped back calmly. Jack nodded and said  
"Thanks, love." To the crew he added "stick to the code," and was off.  
As the two men rowed towards the caves of the Isla de la Muerta Will stared at Jack in wide eyed shock. Jack glanced at him sideways, looked away, checked to see if Will was still staring, and then turned around to face him.  
"What?"  
"How did you do that?" Will asked, his mouth still hanging open in disbelief.  
"Do what?" Jack replied, still trying to figure out what Will was so surprised about.  
"How'd you get Catherine to stay? She didn't even fight!"  
"Oh, that," said Jack, relief coming over him. He thought the boy was talking about how Jack had gotten off that island or about some kind of sea monster rearing up behind the boat. "I just asked 'er to stay an' she did, not that impressive." Will shook his head as if you shake off the surprise of this answer.  
"You don't know what a feat that was! I've known the girl for ten years and I have NEVER seen her give up something she wanted to do without a fight. NEVER. She doesn't even listen to Elizabeth sometimes! I don't know what kind of effect you've had on her, but that is quite an accomplishment!" Jack grinned very, VERY widely as he rowed.  
"Never? I 'ad an effect on 'er, ye say? Hmm," the pirate said happily. Will, even more puzzled than he was before, just gave up on any explanation as they drew closer to the caves.  
"I just don't get it."  
Elizabeth awoke to a loud knock. She got up from the spot on the floor of the captain's cabin of the Black Pearl where she had been huddled ever since she had learned the truth about this ship and its crew. She hadn't really learned the truth even so much as she had been roughly thrown into it. She was summoned to dine with Barbossa her first night on the ship, when he told her all about the curse and the gold. She, disbelieving and fearing for her life, attacked him with a dinner knife just to have him pull it calmly out of his chest as if it were merely a splinter. Elizabeth then ran out onto the deck and found herself being tossed about in the midst of a crew of corpses. When she finally made it back into the cabin alone, she slumped down in a corner, shocked and terrified, and had stayed there ever since. She had remained there undisturbed and unmolested until the two pirates who had taken her in the first place brought her out to the boats. She soon found herself standing over an open stone chest filled with the Aztec gold pieces as the entire ghost crew shouted up at Barbossa who was delivering a fiery speech about the final end of the curse. It was at that precise moment that Will and Jack crept into the cave.  
"Elizabeth." Will started to go towards her, but Jack held him back.  
  
"Wait for the opportune moment." The quirky pirate pranced off to go hide somewhere. Will, who was starting to get quite angry at Jack's antics, made to follow him. Jack spun around, irritated, put his hands up as if to push Will back to his spot and said, "Look, I know it's difficult for you, but just stay here, and don't do anythin' stupid, hmm?" He turned and scampered off, leaving an irate Will to stand there fuming.  
Minutes later, as Jack was peeking out through hole in the rock wall separating him from his old crew and Elizabeth, he heard a noise, turned around, and fell into unconsciousness as an oar from the rowboat came crashing down on his head.  
"Sorry Jack," said Will as he threw the oar aside, "I'm not going to be your leverage." Just then, Barbrossa and his crew were discovering that Elizabeth's blood was not what they needed to lift the curse. She had lied to them. The evil captain drew back his arm and hit Elizabeth hard across the face. She fell down to a lower level of the cave floor, right beside a pool of water. A second later Will emerged from the water and he and Elizabeth were soon swimming back to the waiting rowboat and the Interceptor, Jack still lying on the floor unconscious.  
As Will and Elizabeth were helped on board the Interceptor by the pirate crew, Catherine came running towards her sister, almost knocking her back off the ship. The two sisters embraced, both slightly teary, as Gibbs asked  
"Where be Jack?" The girls broke apart.  
"What?" Catherine asked, just realizing that their captain did not return to the ship.  
"Jack? Jack Sparrow?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief as her sister's face grew paler and paler. Will looked at the girls and frowned.  
"He fell behind." The crew made ready to sail with Anna Maria acting as captain in Jack's absence.  
"Wait," Catherine asked, distress in her voice. "You're just going to leave him? You can't do that, why would you do that?" Her voice began to waver as she spoke desperately to Gibbs. The sailor turned to face her, grief lining his face.  
"It's the pirate's code. Whoever falls behind is left behind. Jack wanted us to follow the code." With that he made off to his post. Catherine's eyes began to fill with tears.  
"They're just going to leave him.." Elizabeth looked at her sister, understanding what the others could not. She also began to cry at Catherine's grief as the two girls went to the captain's cabin, not wanting to be seen like this.  
"Don't fret, Cate, I'm sure we'll get him back. Don't worry, all is not lost." Catherine buried her head in younger sister's shoulder and cried. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jack awoke to find himself surrounded by his old crew, which was a situation he was not particularly fond of. He sat up, feeling the fresh lump on his head.  
"Stupid, stupid, I told 'im not to do anythin' stupid and what does 'e do.idiot boy." the pirate muttered as he pulled himself to his feet. He began wandering through the cave, weaving in and out of faces staring at him in disbelief. "Haha, none of 'em thought I'd make it," Jack thought to himself as he swaggered up to Barbossa, who just looked at him with his mouth open.  
"How in hell did ye get off that island?" the evil pirate asked as he stared at this man swaying drunkenly in front of him. Jack just held his arms out as if to take a bow and said,  
"Ye're forgettin' one very important thing, mate. I'm Cap'n Jack Sparrow!" Barbossa just laughed and gave the order for him to be killed. Jack took full advantage of the moment. "The girl's blood didn't work, did it?" Barbossa turned around quickly. The next thing Jack knew, he was aboard the Black Pearl striking a deal with the demented pirate to get his ship back in return for Will's name. Unfortunately for Jack, it was at that moment that the first mate came in saying that they were gaining on the Interceptor. Sparrow and Barbossa ran out on deck, the latter grinning, because now he could get what he wanted and kill Jack. Our pirate, however, was not so keen on the idea. Before you could say 'parlay' Jack found himself locked in the brig standing in ankle deep water watching the battle which ensued between the two ships through a hole in the hull of the Pearl. "Cannon, cannon, gun, gun, come on, do somethin' ter get me out.." Jack muttered as he waved his hands in frustration. Just then a flying mass of silverware shot through the Pearl, making his small eye hole much larger ("Stop blowin' 'oles in my ship!" and blasting the lock of his small personal prison clear off its door. Minutes later, Jack was swinging over to the Interceptor and landing on Elizabeth Swann as she shot at the cursed pirates.  
"You!!" she shouted in surprise.  
"Aye," Jack said as he scanned the deck of the Interceptor. He saw Catherine, sighed, and then turned back to Elizabeth. "Where is the medallion, lass?" He looked down and saw a bandage very carefully tied around the hand which Barbossa had cut to get to her blood. "Ah, where is dear William?" Elizabeth looked around just in time to see Will's hand reaching out of the door in the middle of the deck, trying to get out. He had jumped down to get the medallion off the table where Elizabeth had left it and had instead become trapped in the storage compartment which was quickly filling with water.  
"Will!" Elizabeth ran to get him out, but could not move the door. As Elizabeth was trying to free Will, Jack was scampering across the Interceptor's fallen mast back over to the Black Pearl after Barbossa's monkey, who had gotten the gold piece. Barbossa got the gold first, and the crew of the Pearl over took the Interceptor. Jack looked up to see both of the Swann girls being carried over kicking and screaming like madwomen and tied to the Pearl's mast with the rest of Jack's crew. It was just at that moment that the Interceptor exploded.  
"Will! No!" screamed Elizabeth. Almost at the sound of his name Will climbed up the side of the Pearl, having swum out of the Interceptor through one of the massive holes left by the cannon fire. Elizabeth gave a huge sigh of relief. Jack looked up at the boy and started waving at him trying to keep him from doing anything stupid. Too bad for them it didn't work. Will told Barbossa who he was and threatened to kill himself.  
"Name yer price, Mr. Turner." Will pointed to the girls.  
"They go free, and the crew is not to be harmed."  
Soon, the crew was locked in the brig below deck, Will was bound and gagged, and Jack and the Swann sisters found themselves thrown overboard within swimming distance of the very same island on which Jack had been marooned his first time around with this crew. As the three swam toward the beach, Jack muttered to himself,  
"Always the maroonin' with this lot, no imagination..idiot boy.better company than last time, though..how in the bloody hell am I goin' ter get off this time!" 


	8. Marooned

*Just a couple of random notes to some reviewers. Props to lady brown, my most devoted reviewer (happyhappyhappy) Why is there no rum-totally awesome pen name. you make me laugh Eamane Calmcacil-never heard of anyone obsessed with haldir before, interesting choice..and power to the band geeks! Ok, I'm done now. Here's the story.  
  
Chapter Eight-Marooned  
  
The Swann girls and Captain Jack Sparrow walked up the beach of the sad excuse for an island they had been left on all in various states of shock and anger. Jack was frustrated and, as always, slightly confused at his surroundings and walked up the beach scratching his head and muttering to himself about 'that idiot boy'. Catherine and Elizabeth seemed to have momentarily switched personalities; Catherine was silently fuming, her teeth clenched and her fingernails digging into her palms as she tried to keep from lashing out at a palm tree, and Elizabeth was walking forward determinedly after Jack and ranting about escape.  
"We've got to get off this island! You've done it before, I've heard the stories, and you can do it again!" The angry girl ran after the meandering pirate, arms swinging and fists clenched as her sister walked silently behind her. "How did you do it!" Jack was currently knocking on a palm tree, ignoring the seething woman. He paced off a few large, wobbling steps and then began to jump on a section of sand. "Are you or are you not the infamous pirate I've read about! How did you get off!?!" Jack turned, put his hands up in frustration as if he wanted to grab Elizabeth to alleviate his irritation but had managed to stop himself, and said,  
"Look, las' time I was 'ere for a grand total of three days, alright?" He then brushed the sand off of the place he was jumping on, revealing a trap door which he lifted up and went down into the hidden compartment below. "The rum runners 'ad a stash 'ere, an' they jus' 'appened to show up and take me with 'em." Jack reemerged with three very large, dusty bottles full of rum. "From the looks o' things, they don' come this way anymore. I should imagine ye'd 'ave yer friend Norrington to thank fer that." Elizabeth began to cry in disappointment and distress.  
"So that's it then," she said through clenched teeth. "That's the great esacpe. You lied on a beach for three days drinking rum." Jack shrugged as he handed each of the girls a bottle.  
"Aye, an' that's what I plan to do this time." Elizabeth looked as if she would begin sobbing outright, when her eyebrows shot up at the sight of the bottle of rum in her hand. She gave her sister one of those looks that says 'are you thinking what I'm thinking?' and then looked back at the bottle. Catherine, taking a page out of Jack's book, shrugged and said,  
"Go ahead, Tess, sounds like an excellent plan. While you're doing that, I'm going to get drunk." Catherine marched down the beach after Jack, bottle in hand, as Elizabeth stared after her, dumbstruck. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Night fell on the little island as the three castaways danced around a blazing bonfire singing 'yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me." Elizabeth was the only one who was really sober; Jack and Catherine were smashed. As they leaped and danced, their swashbuckling friend told them how much he loved that song, and that when he got his ship back he would teach it to the crew, and they'd sing it all the time! Elizabeth joined in their antics enough to make Jack think she was drunk as well  
"Oh, it must have been terrible for you, Jack, to be stuck here all alone," Elizabeth interjected, trying to sound as sympathetic as possible.  
  
"Aye, aye," he asserted emphatically and began ranting again. Elizabeth backed away from her sister and the pirate, having gotten Jack going on a topic. She stayed behind them and watched as Jack fell on the sand and Catherine flopped down beside him, laughing.  
"Ye see, love," continued Jack on the topic of his ship, "a ship is more than just rigging an' sails an' rudder. That's what a ship needs, o' course, but what a ship is, what the Black Pearl really is, is freedom." The pirate had once again ceased to be his usual drunken self as he pointed out to the ocean on which his beloved freedom sailed as they spoke. Catherine also became momentarily sober as she watched Jack speak and saw all his fire and passion. It became so plainly clear to her how very much alike they were.  
"Freedom." Jack looked down on Catherine, and their two dreams became one for a brief moment in time. Elizabeth gazed in awe on their sudden transformation, which was very much like the transformation that had occurred that day in court what seemed ages ago. Jack and Catherine, their faces so close they could smell each other's rum soaked breath, raised their bottles in toast.  
"To freedom."  
"Aye, to freedom." The next moment they were both passed out on the sand, drunk out of their minds. Elizabeth shook herself back to life.  
"Finally," she muttered to herself, and got to work. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The next morning Catherine awoke with a dreadful headache and hearing voices. When she rolled over, she realized it was Jack and her sister shouting at each other. Elizabeth had taken everything out of the rum runners' secret compartment and burned it, making a huge smoke signal. Elizabeth was stalking around the fire as she threw on more fuel and Jack paced back and forth in front of the blaze helplessly, waving his hands as if he were trying to swat an enormous fly with his mouth gaping open. Catherine couldn't help but laugh at the scene.  
"Ye burned it! Ye burned it all, all the food, supplies, all the rum!!"  
"Yes Jack, the rum is gone."  
"Why is the rum gone!?!" Elizabeth ceased her march around the fire and went right up to Jack.  
"Because, it is a vile drink that makes even the most honorable of men do indecent things, and that smoke signal is over a hundred feet high. Every ship in the British navy is out looking for Catherine and I, do you really think there's a chance they won't see it?" Jack just stared at her.  
  
"But why is the rum gone?" Catherine couldn't hold it in anymore; she began laughing hysterically at the commotion the two were causing. Jack spun around and gave her a look that said 'oh, think this is funny, do you?' Catherine, tears of laughter in her eyes, said,  
"I'm sorry, Jack, but it is terribly funny." At that Sparrow threw his hands up in the air and stalked off to the other side of the beach.  
"Awww, must've been terrible for ye Jack," he muttered mimicking Elizabeth, "Well it bloody is now!" Just as he had finished yelling back at the two girls, Jack turned around to see the HMS Dauntless sailing up to the island. 


	9. Bargain

Chapter Nine-Bargain  
  
"Father, we've got to go save him!! He'll die if we don't!" Elizabeth Swann was screaming at her father as Commodore Norrington set a path back to Port Royal. The two Swann girls and Captain Jack Sparrow had been 'rescued' by the HMS Dauntless, and were now aboard fighting to go after Will Turner. Elizabeth was in hysterics; Catherine had to restrain her in order to keep Elizabeth from lashing out at the governor, who stood there calmly ignoring the pleas of his children.  
"The boy's fate is regrettable, but he did engage in piracy." That only made Elizabeth more indignant.  
"To save me!!"  
"Honorable as his intentions were."  
"What about me?" said Catherine, joining in the argument. "I engaged in piracy as well, do you want to give me to the pirates, or leave me there on that godforsaken island, or hang me perhaps?" The older girl stared at her father defiantly. Unfortunately for their cause this was something he was quite used to.  
"No, of course not."  
"Then why in bloody hell are you going to let Will die?" Everyone (except for Jack and Elizabeth) let out a gasp of shock at what Catherine had just said. Governor Swann stared at his eldest daughter as Jack stepped up to Norrington.  
"Ye know ye'd like to go after 'er, the Black Pearl, the last real pirate threat in the Caribbean.what's stoppin' ye?" Norrington just gave the pirate an icy stare. The one thing that the commodore hated more than anything else in this world was pirates.  
"The knowledge that I serve others and not just myself." The commodore began to walk back up to the helm as Catherine whispered something in Elizabeth's ear. The younger girl ran forward.  
"Do it for me, Commodore, as a wedding present." Norrington stopped in his tracks and turned to stare at Elizabeth in disbelief. Her father asked if that meant she was agreeing to marry him, her simple reply was,  
"I am."  
"Mr. Sparrow, you will accompany me to the helm and navigate the way to the Isla de la Muerta." Norrington marched up to the bridge, his step considerably lighter, as Jack ambled up after him, arms waving. Elizabeth gave a great sigh of relief and threw herself into her sister's arms, and the two girls sat down to wait.  
Hours later, Jack, Norrington and his men were positioned outside the caves of the dreaded island. Catherine and Elizabeth, at a slight hint from Jack, found themselves locked in the captain's cabin to keep them from harm. This situation was not one that the Swann girls fancied themselves in at the present moment. As Jack rowed into the caves alone, the girls had rigged an escape rope out of blankets and were climbing their way out of the Dauntless and to one of her lifeboats, both muttering furiously under their breath at their separate injustices.  
"I'm not staying here while other people help rescue him," said Elizabeth to herself.  
"I'll be damned if he's going to go and get himself killed while I sit locked up in there," muttered Catherine simultaneously. And so the sisters, both outfitted in sloppy soldier's uniforms to replace their ruined dresses, made their way once again into the caves.  
Barbossa and his crew were once again gathered about the stone chest of Aztec gold, this time with Will standing in the place of honor. Jack walked casually through the throng of pirates, each one staring at him in shock as he swaggered up to Barbossa. The evil captain looked up to see Sparrow standing in front of him, waving his arms to catch his attention.  
"Impossible," Barbossa muttered as his mouth dropped open.  
"Improbable," Jack corrected him with a flourish. Pointing to Will he said, "Ye don't want to be doin' that." Barbossa grinned sarcastically, said,  
"Oh I believe I do," then placed the knife under Will's throat.  
"Your funeral." Jack stood there with his hands folded innocently. Barbossa rolled his eyes in frustration and turned back to Sparrow.  
"Why don't I want to be doin' that?" the irritated Barbossa asked. Jack smiled and jumped up to his level.  
"Because," he said with a flourish, "the HMS Dauntless is anchored right outside this cave, waiting for ye, an' if I don't come out with the boy, yer'll all dead." The pirates gave emitted a collective roar and began looking around frantically for alternate ways to get out. Barbossa went from irritated to angry very quickly. He waved his knife around in front of Will, who was looking quite nervous, as he shouted orders for quiet. When the noise subsided, he turned back to Jack who was smiling smugly.  
"Are ye tellin' me I shouldn't kill the whelp!?!"  
"No, by all means, kill the whelp," Jack replied. Will looked up in a semi-state of shock. "All I'm sayin' is wait for the opportune moment." The captive's ears perked up. Jack squinted his eyes at Will as if willing him to read his mind. "Say, after ye've killed Norrington an' 'is men." Barbossa began to understand Jack's plan, but became suddenly suspicious.  
"What is it ye're gainin' out o' this?" the captain asked warily. Jack just grinned and came closer to his enemy, smiling.  
"After ye've taken care o' the soldiers, ye'll have two ships, and ye'll naturally be wantin' the grander one fer yerself, but what o' the Pearl? Name me captain, and I'll work under ye, give ye a cut o' the takin's. It'd be the beginnin's o' yer very own fleet. Ye'd 'ave the entire Caribbean at yer mercy," Jack continued as he reached into the stone chest, grabbing a handful of the cursed gold. He then began dropping the pieces back into the chest one at a time. "It'll all be yers, after ye've taken care 'o Norrington an' 'is men, one *clink* by *clink* one *clink*." Barbossa and his crew were too busy pondering the possibilities to watch Jack closely; only Will saw him slip one of the coins from his hand into his pocket. Realization suddenly dawned on young Turner; he looked up at Jack knowingly.  
"You've been planning this all along, haven't you!!" he said tersely as he leered at Jack, who seemed relieved to see that his young friend finally caught on and said,  
"Ah, yeah!" Barbossa turned to Sparrow.  
"I want fifty percent o' the takin's."  
"Fifteen."  
"Thirty."  
"Twenty five an' I'll buy ye a hat, a nice big one. What'd ye say, commodore?" Barbossa leaned back as he looked at Jack appraisingly, and then thrust his hand out.  
"We 'ave an accord." The two pirates shook hands. Jack turned with a wave of his arms.  
"All 'ands to the boats!" Nobody moved as Jack glanced back at Barbossa who had his arms crossed. "Sorry. Ye give the orders." Barbossa grinned wickedly.  
"Gents, take a walk." The crew burst into evil laughter and stomped off.  
"Not to the boats?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Minutes later, a skeleton army was marching across the ocean floor towards the Dauntless, swords and teeth bared in macabre pleasure. They one by one climbed up the anchor rope and silently boarded the ship, knives in their teeth. The slunk quietly across the ship, slitting the throat of each soldier as they went. It was only as they neared the helm that they were seen and the battle begun. The governor's soldiers fought valiantly and fearlessly, shooting, stabbing, and slicing at the moving corpses who continued to press forward no matter what hit them. One by one the soldiers fell; there was no stopping the pirates' massacre. One dying man managed to ring the ship's bell before he was skewered upon a skeleton's cutlass. Norrington and his men who were waiting offshore hurried to the Dauntless to join the fight.  
As the battle raged on aboard the Dauntless, Catherine and Elizabeth silently climbed up onto the almost deserted Black Pearl on, which there were only two or three sentries guarding the ship. Once on board, they found themselves face to face with Barbossa's monkey, who howled an alarm. The monkey's face changed, though, when the girls' eyes narrowed and they came toward him. A moment later, two guards below deck saw the monkey fall into the water. They rushed up to see who the intruder was and the sisters snuck down to the brig. Jack's crew hushed at the sudden noise, but when Gibbs cried  
"It's Catherine and Elizabeth!" they all gave a cheer. The next minute, the skeleton guards were standing on the deck looking down at the girls' rowboat, puzzled, when all of a sudden one of the Pearl's own lifeboats swung towards them, knocking them into the water in a dozen bony pieces. Sparrow's crew gave a shout of victory. Catherine and Elizabeth ran to the swinging lifeboat and took up the rope it was attached too.  
"Alright," Catherine shouted, "Let's go get Jack and Will! Everyone heave!!" The Swann sisters turned around to see the crew staring somberly back at them. "What? You're going to leave them! What about your captain, what about Jack!?!"  
"Jack wanted us to follow the code, an' he owes us a ship!" The girls stared at them in shock.  
"But you're pirates!" Elizabeth shouted. "Hang the rules, hang the code!"  
After being helped into the water, Catherine and Elizabeth rowed out to the caves alone, two very angry women.  
"Bloody pirates." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	10. The Curse

Chapter Ten-The Curse  
  
"I thought I had ye figured, Jack," said Barbossa as he sat on a pile of gold waiting for his crew to return, "but turns out ye're a very 'ard man to predict." Jack stopped pilfering through treasure to turn around and reply.  
"Me, I'm dishonest, an' ye can always count on a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones ye've got ter worry about." Jack walked up behind one of the cursed pirates who was waiting and guarding Will. "Ye never know when they're gonna do something." Jack looked straight at the boy, ".stupid." Will rammed into one of his guards as Jack grabbed the sword of the pirate whom he was standing behind and threw it to his young friend. He then drew his own cutlass and turned on Barbossa. As Will fought of the four or five pirates surrounding him, the two captains were locked in a fearsome duel. They chased each other about the cave, steel flashing as they advanced, first Barbossa, then Jack, Barbossa, Jack. Finally, Barbossa threw his sword down and held out his arms.  
"This is pointless, Jack, I can't be killed!" Jack thrust his cutlass through his foe's abdomen. Barbossa just laughed, pulled the sword out of his own stomach and plunged it into Jack's. Sparrow gasped in shock, his eyes wide and his face pale as death. Clutching the sword, he staggered back into a stream of moonlight, and to the shock of everyone, turned into a skeleton. He held up his hand and wiggled his fingers.  
"That's int'resting." Will looked up in surprise as he saw the skeletal Jack pull out a gold piece and twirl it in his bony fingers, making a loud clinking sound as it went from bone to bone. Jack grinned and turned his attention back to a stunned Barbossa.  
"Couldn't help meself, mate." Barbossa charged, and their battle began again, even more fast paced and furious than it was before. As the duelers ran and leapt from rock to rock and treasure pile, to treasure pile, Will found himself without a sword and cornered by one of the gruesome buccaneers.  
"I'm gonna teach you the meanin' of pain!" As Will braced himself for the blow, he heard another voice.  
"Ya like pain," Elizabeth said as she knocked the pirate down with a massive gold staff, "Try wearin' a corset." Will stood up, took Elizabeth's hand, and the two ran off to fight the rest of the pirates. Catherine, however, found herself frozen to the spot as she watched Jack and Barbossa run in and out of the moonlight.  
"My God." she muttered seeing Sparrow go from flesh to bone and back again. Elizabeth and Will had managed to spear all of the pirates together and blow them to bits with their own dynamite, and Will took this opportunity to run to the stone chest. Jack pulled out his gold piece, slit his hand, and threw it upwards as Barbossa sat down hard on a mound of gold by which Catherine was standing off to the side, her sister running towards her.  
"Enough!" Barbossa shouted as he turned his pistol towards the girls. A loud shot was heard. The cursed pirate looked down at his chest in surprise and saw a bullet hole.  
"Idiot," he laughed, "Ye save that shot fer ten years an' then ye waste it."  
"He didn't waste it," Will said as he opened his own hand over the chest into which fell the two final gold pieces, soaked in Jack and Will's blood. A look of horror and surprise suddenly came onto Barbossa's face as he pulled open his jacket only to see a steady stream of blood pour from his wound.  
"I feel.cold." he muttered, as he slowly lowered himself onto the treasure. A look of resignation was on Jack's face at the final execution of his revenge as he slowly lowered his pistol. Jack, Will, and the girls just stood there, watching their enemy die, when that evil look crept quickly and unexpectedly back into Barbossa's eyes for one fleeting moment. He raised his gun, fired, and fell over dead.  
Total silence took over the cave as the onlookers stared at each other, waiting to see if the pirate's final shot had found its target. Jack looked over at Catherine. She was standing there, unmoving, pallid, wide-eyed, and clutching her abdomen. The others' hearts raced for what seemed like an eternity, until Catherine pulled one of her hands away, dripping with blood.  
"No!" Jack screamed. He ran forward, catching Catherine as she fell onto the ground, panting, as tears began to fill her eyes. Jack hoisted her up in his arms, carried her up to the chest, and guided her hand into it.  
"Take one, love, take a coin." Elizabeth was sobbing uncontrollably as her sister fragilely closed her fingers around the cold metal. The color rushed back into Catherine's face. Still silent, Jack carried her into the moonlight. He gently reached into her now open torso and took out the musket ball which was rolling over her bare ribs. Still holding her carefully in his arms, he took her back over to the cursed gold. He took out his knife, made a small incision on her open palm, and closed her fingers around the gold. Silent tears now beginning to fill the pirate's eyes as well, Catherine and Jack just looked at each other as the girl slowly dropped the coin.  
No one moved for a moment until Catherine slowly pulled the soldier's shirt she was wearing up over her stomach, which was smooth and unmarked. Jack heaved a great sigh of relief and bowed his head over her body as Catherine looked up at him tenderly. Elizabeth, now crying harder than ever, moved toward her sister, but Will gently took her arm.  
"Leave them." He led Elizabeth over to another part of the cave, leaving the infamous pirate and the governor's eldest daughter sitting alone on a pile of gold. Jack lifted his head to look at the woman still nestled in his arms, tears running down his face. Catherine placed her hand gently upon his cheek, smiled, and said,  
"Would you kindly make sure the next evil, mutinous pirate you've just released from a curse is completely dead before you lower your weapon next time?" Jack let out a hearty laugh.  
"Aye, darlin', I'll be sure to do that. Thought I'd lost ye there fer a moment," the pirate said as he looked lovingly over Catherine's tear stained face. "I don' know what I'd.I mean I.I." She put a finger over his lips.  
"I know, Jack, so do I." He leaned over and kissed her softly and tenderly, as he'd never kissed a woman in his life. They drew apart, beaming. Catherine looked up at the man above her and grinned playfully.  
"Bloody pirate." Jack smirked, flashing his gold teeth and putting his drunken manner back on and replied,  
"Cap'n Jack Sparrow at yer service, milady."  
"Don't you milady me. You've never faced the likes of me before, savvy?"  
"Aye, love, never indeed."  
Back on board the Dauntless, the pirates all suddenly ceased fighting, as one of their fellows fell over, dead. The stared at each other's human forms, and then up at the pale moon which was uncovered by clouds. The pirates stared back at their opponents and one by one dropped their weapons upon the deck. Commodore Norrington withdrew his sword.  
"Gentlemen, the day is ours." Heart cries of huzzah rang out over the water.  
On the island, Jack and Catherine had walked into the cave where Elizabeth and Will were standing, the air filled with tension. Catherine muttered,  
"Kiss her, idiot," to which Jack replied,  
"Aye." The two smiled at each other as they went to join Will and Elizabeth.  
"We best get back to the Dauntless," Elizabeth said without emotion and the four companions walked towards the exit of the cave. Jack led the way with Catherine, one of his hands on the small of her back and the other clutching an armful of treasure, while Will and Elizabeth followed silently. They apparently had missed the opportune moment. When they approached the rowboat, Jack said merrily,  
"Now, I'd be much obliged if ye'd kindly drop me off at my ship." Catherine and Elizabeth looked at each other, frowning, as the pushed off into the water. They explained to Jack that he didn't have a ship, his crew having taken it and left. The pirate looked down solemnly as they rowed towards the Dauntless. "They done right by them, I can't ask fer anythin' more." 


	11. Goodbye

Chapter Eleven-Goodbye  
  
1.   
  
"Jack Sparrow, you have been convicted of crimes against the Crown  
  
which are  
  
numerous and sinister in nature…"  
  
"Captain, Captain Jack Sparrow…." Jack muttered to himself. He was  
  
standing on  
  
the platform of the gallows in Port Royal in front of a crowd of onlookers as  
  
a  
  
herald read off his list of crimes. After leaving the Isla de Muerta to find  
  
his ship was gone, the pirate had no other choice than to go with Will and the  
  
girls back aboard the Dauntless. They were all hoping that Jack would be  
  
allowed to sneak off to freedom, but Commodore Norrington and Governor Swann  
  
had  
  
different plans. He was locked in the brig as the Swann sisters raised a huge  
  
protest. It all had been to no avail, however, as he now found himself  
  
staring  
  
at a noose.  
  
Will was wandering through the crowd, trying to think of a way to help  
  
Jack  
  
escape, when he saw a bright blue and yellow parrot fly over the crowd and  
  
land  
  
on a flag post. Will recognized that bird. An idea came to mind and he made  
  
his way to the steps at the back of the execution square where the governor,  
  
Norrington, and the two girls where standing.  
  
"This is wrong," Elizabeth said to her father, who simply gave her some  
  
excuse  
  
about upholding the law and ignored her. If the man paid any attention  
  
whatsoever to his daughters, he would have noticed the pain written all over  
  
Catherine's face. The proud girl stood still and silent, fighting to hold  
  
back  
  
tears. Her face was pale and her hands were clenching her handkerchief as she  
  
stood with her eyes locked on Jack, the love she had so recently gained only  
  
to  
  
lose him so soon to the gallows. Will approached them, nodding to each one in  
  
turn. His eyebrows knit together for a brief moment when he looked at  
  
Catherine, but he was on a mission and did not allow his thoughts to linger on  
  
the woman's grief.  
  
"Governor Swann, Commodore, Catherine," he nodded. "Elizabeth," the  
  
girl  
  
looked at him. "I should have told you every day from the moment we met: I  
  
love  
  
you." Elizabeth's mouth dropped, and the governor rolled his eyes. The boy  
  
turned determinedly and pushed his way towards the gallows as the drum roll  
  
began counting down the moments until Jack's death. Catherine closed her  
  
eyes.   
  
Elizabeth began fanning herself quickly.  
  
"I can't breathe!" She fell over, pretending to faint and thus  
  
distracting her  
  
father and fiancé.  
  
"Get out of the way! MOVE!" the boy shouted as he pushed through the  
  
crowd.   
  
Just as the final hit on the drums rang out and the platform fell, Will hurled  
  
his sword through the air. Elizabeth sat up and Catherine opened her eyes to  
  
see Jack desperately trying to stand on the thin blade which was lodged in the  
  
collapsed platform. Will rushed the gallows and began fighting the  
  
executioner,  
  
who cut the rope off at the base in an attempt to hit Will. Jack jumped down,  
  
cut the bonds on his wrists with Will's sword, and grabbed the rope, throwing  
  
one end of it to Will as they both ran back through the square, taking out  
  
soldiers as they went. Catherine ran to the very edge of the courtyard to  
  
which  
  
Jack and Will were fighting their way, her handkerchief still clutched in her  
  
hand and her hair falling loose as she ran. Just as the two men were about to  
  
break through to freedom, the guards closed in on them and they spun back to  
  
back around the circle of bayonets, Will's sword ringing and Jack's arms  
  
flailing as he tried to get the enormous feather attached to the back of  
  
Will's  
  
hat out of his face. Catherine stood by, watching in agony as her father and  
  
the commodore entered the circle of soldiers with Elizabeth close behind them.  
  
Catherine looked desperately at her sister for help, but she was too worried  
  
about Will to even look at Catherine.  
  
"I imagined we might have to deal with some feeble attempt at escape,  
  
but not  
  
from you," Norrington said coldly as he looked at Will who was standing in  
  
between the commodore and the pirate. Will stared defiantly back.  
  
"If all I have achieved is two pairs of boots for the executioner  
  
instead of  
  
one then so be it." Governor Swann came forward.  
  
"When we arrived back in Port Royal I granted you clemency, and this  
  
is how you  
  
repay me!"  
  
"At least my conscience is clear," Will said raising his head proudly  
  
as Jack  
  
peeked at the scene from over his shoulder.  
  
"Good God, boy, he's a pirate!"  
  
"And a good man." At this last comment Jack looked around smugly at  
  
the guards  
  
and pointed at himself. He also looked back and saw Catherine where she was  
  
standing. Norrington, becoming ever more irritated, said,  
  
"You forget your place boy."  
  
"It's right here, between you and Jack." Elizabeth, having gone back  
  
and  
  
grabbed her sister's hand, walked into the circle of soldiers.  
  
"As is ours." Norrington stood back, stunned at the sight of Elizabeth  
  
clutching Will's hand. Everybody was too busy being shocked by the younger  
  
Swann girl's choice of a humble blacksmith that they didn't notice the hushed  
  
conversation between the elder one and her far more shocking selection.  
  
"I'll stay, love, I won't run."  
  
"Don't you dare, they'll just hang you later. You are going to go save  
  
yourself, and that's an order" Jack's eyebrows knit together in pain.  
  
"How?" Catherine pointed up to Mr. Cotton's parrot with her eyes, and  
  
realization dawned on Jack's face. He turned back to Catherine, both of their  
  
hearts breaking at this unavoidable separation. He pulled a silver ring with  
  
a  
  
large black stone off of the first finger on his right and placed it in  
  
Catherine's trembling grasp. She took her handkerchief and tied it to his  
  
belt  
  
buckle.  
  
"I'll come back fer ye, darlin'." Putting his normal manner back on,  
  
Jack  
  
turned away from Catherine and waltzed up to the Governor.  
  
"Well, I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh?   
  
Spiritually,  
  
ecumenically…grammatically…" As Governor Swann pulled back in disgust, Jack  
  
flitted over to Norrington. "I was rootin' fer ye," he said pointing his dirty  
  
finger in the commodore's face, "Know that." The pirate pranced over to the  
  
edge of the battlement, throwing one final, painful look at Catherine as he  
  
went. "Ye will all remember this day as the day…." Jack's brief speech was  
  
stopped as he fell backwards off the edge of the fort and into the ocean  
  
below.   
  
Everyone ran to look over into the water.  
  
"What'd he do that for, he's got nowhere to go but back to the fort?" a  
  
random  
  
soldier asked. Just then, the billowing sails of the Black Pearl where seen  
  
sailing towards its captain who, after gazing longingly up at the fort for a  
  
brief moment, began swimming toward his escape.  
  
Will and Elizabeth stood together, hands clasped as the commodore  
  
approached  
  
them.  
  
"Is this where your heart truly lays, Elizabeth?"  
  
"It is."  
  
"Mr. Turner." Will stepped forward, Elizabeth trying to hold him back.  
  
"I will face the consequences for my actions." Norrington drew his  
  
sword.  
  
"This is a beautiful sword. I'd expect the man who made it to show  
  
such care  
  
and devotion in every aspect of his life." Will, who never got any credit for  
  
his work, looked very appreciatively at the commodore.  
  
"Thank you." Norrington nodded, and began to walk away, letting go of  
  
Elizabeth and without giving any orders for Jack's pursuit. When one of his  
  
officers demanded what Norrington would do about the escaped pirate, the  
  
commodore smiled vaguely and said,  
  
"I think we can afford to give him one day's head start." With that the  
  
commodore and all the soldiers and bystanders left.  
  
Governor Swann walked up to his youngest daughter where she was  
  
standing with  
  
Will, a look of disappointment on his face.  
  
"So this is the path you've chosen? After all, he's just a  
  
blacksmith."   
  
Elizabeth smiled and took Will's hat off.  
  
"No, he's a pirate." With that the two lovers kissed, and the governor  
  
walked  
  
away. After Will and Elizabeth had broken apart and Governor Swann had gone,  
  
Catherine who had been staring into the water as she maintained a very tight  
  
grip on the stone of the battlement, burst into tears which she had pent up  
  
ever  
  
since they got back on the Dauntless. She sobbed like her heart was breaking,  
  
and it was. Her sister and friend leaned down and lifted her to her feet,  
  
holding her in a warm embrace, trying to comfort the girl in her sorrow.   
  
Tears  
  
came to Elizabeth's eyes at the pain Catherine was experiencing. She, after  
  
all, had her love. She could hardly imagine what her sister must be going  
  
through.  
  
"He'll come back for you, Cate, I know he will." Will and Elizabeth  
  
reached  
  
their arms around the weeping woman, one on each side, and slowly led her back  
  
home. 


	12. One Year Later

Chapter Twelve-One Year Later  
  
Elizabeth Turner was walking through the streets of Port Royal from the small house she shared  
  
with her husband, Will, to the Governor's Mansion where Catherine still lived with their father. The  
  
relationship between Governor Swann and his eldest daughter had changed dramatically after the girls'  
  
adventure. For a solid month after Jack's escape to the Black Pearl, Catherine broke free of every rule  
  
her father had ever set for her and lived her own life, refusing to talk to him. One day, the governor  
  
came into his daughter's room to see her sitting alone at her window staring longingly out over the sea.   
  
He sat down beside her, and they talked. They spoke of Catherine's life, her dreams, her aspirations;  
  
for the first time Governor Swann began to truly know his daughter. They emerged from that  
  
conversation as what every loving father and daughter should be: they were friends. The governor  
  
would tell Catherine the goings on at the fort, and give her updates on what was happening throughout  
  
the Caribbean. Catherine told her father what had really happened during her and Elizabeth's  
  
experience with pirates, that is, she told him most of it. She did not tell him about Jack. This was  
  
actually a good thing, because the governor had gained an almost respect for the pirate from what he  
  
had learned from his daughter. He had no idea of the many times Sparrow had saved his children, or  
  
what he had done for them in the end, and when he learned all of that his entire mind set about Jack  
  
changed for the better. He probably would not have changed his mind nearly as much if he had known  
  
about Catherine and Jack, but as she was by no means going to discuss the matter with him, Governor  
  
Swann maintained a high opinion of the captain.   
  
Jack. He was a topic that was ever present in Will and Elizabeth's minds, but he was never  
  
discussed, at least not around Catherine. Nothing was said of him in her presence, and she said nothing  
  
of him. Elizabeth knew that however much her sister tried to deny it Jack Sparrow was the first and  
  
foremost thing in her heart and in her mind. Catherine had changed after he left, it was like a light inside  
  
her had gone out. The usual fire was gone from her eyes, though her manner only changed very slightly.   
  
Elizabeth knew that though Catherine was trying to be her old self, she was a woman torn apart by the  
  
sorrow of separation from the man she loved. It had been a year, a year without any idea where he  
  
was or what he was doing, or if he was even alive, and that was slowly but surely killing Catherine.   
  
Every morning before dawn she would walk out to the harbor and stand on the dock watching as all the  
  
morning ships came in, not leaving until every last one was tied and unloaded. Sometimes she would be  
  
there all day, others she would come back after shortly after dawn. Some days Elizabeth would go and  
  
watch with her, trying to let Catherine know by her presence that her heart ached at the thought of her  
  
sister's sadness, and that she prayed fervently for Jack's return to Catherine's arms.   
  
Elizabeth pondered all these things as she entered the governor's mansion. She walked into the  
  
parlor to see her sister and father sitting together reading. Catherine jumped up at the sight of her little  
  
sister and immediately ran to embrace her and kiss her belly, large with child.   
  
"Oh, Tess, I still can't believe that you are going to be a mother. When are you due to give  
  
birth?"   
  
"Any day now," Elizabeth replied smiling as she caressed her swollen stomach. The governor  
  
rose to kiss his youngest daughter.   
  
"You are to give birth any day and your husband allows you to walk all the way here? I would  
  
have thought him more responsible."  
  
"Will doesn't want me to walk so much," Elizabeth replied, smiling at her father's concern, " . .  
  
. but I think the exercise is good for the baby. I let him pamper me enough to completely spoil me for  
  
the rest of my life, but I would just go mad if I didn't get out and walk once in awhile." Governor  
  
Swann just shrugged and left the two girls alone. As disapproving as he tried to seem, he was really  
  
thrilled at the idea of being a grandfather. After he left, the sisters sat down on the sofa and rang for  
  
tea.   
  
"Cate, how are you?" Elizabeth asked as she fixed herself a small cup of tea.   
  
"I'm fine." That had become Catherine's usual answer.   
  
"How long were you at the docks today?" Elizabeth began to broach the forbidden topic.   
  
"Only for an hour. There weren't very many ships that put into port, just a few merchant ships  
  
and the Dauntless back from a mission. I did get to speak with Commodore Norrington for a few  
  
moments. He sends his best regards to you and Will." Elizabeth frowned at her sister's perpetual  
  
avoidance of any mention of Jack. She sat for a moment, sipping her tea, deep in thought, then sat her  
  
glass down and took Catherine's hand.   
  
"Cate, you can't keep doing this to yourself. Walking out to the harbor every morning just  
  
makes you even more disappointed and heartbroken when the Pearl doesn't come in." Catherine sat in  
  
silence, staring at her glass.   
  
"I just . . . I just have to watch, Tess, I have to. What if . . . " she braced herself for the words  
  
that had been formulating themselves in her head for a year, " . . . what if he comes and I miss him?   
  
What if he just leaves again?" Elizabeth took her sister in her arms as she began to cry, stroking her  
  
hair and trying to comfort her in her sorrow.   
  
"You won't miss him, Cate. Jack will come back, and when he does he won't leave until he  
  
finds you, you can be sure of that." Catherine was now fondling a ring she wore on a chain around her  
  
neck, the ring Jack had given her that last day.   
  
"How can I be sure, Tess? I'm so confused about everything . . . " Elizabeth took her sister's  
  
tear stained face in her hands.   
  
"Jack loves you, Cate, and that is all you need to think about. He will find you because he  
  
loves you." Catherine began sobbing again and buried her head in Elizabeth's shoulder.   
  
When Will, who had come to fetch Elizabeth home, and Governor Swann entered the parlor an  
  
hour later, they found the two sisters still holding each other. Will, knowing full well what this was  
  
about, took his wife's hand and helped her off the couch and gave his sister-in-law a reassuring squeeze  
  
on the shoulder. Catherine looked up at him and smiled.  
  
"Thank you, Will," she said, sniffling.  
  
"It will be all right, Cate, you know that don't you?" Catherine nodded, and the couple left for  
  
home. The governor came and sat down next to his daughter, putting his arm about her shoulders.   
  
"I know something has been troubling you greatly for a long time now, Catherine. I just want  
  
you to know that you can tell me if you need to, all right?" The governor looked at his daughter with  
  
fatherly concern. Catherine just wiped her eyes and leaned her head against her father's chest.   
  
"I know, Father, and I will tell you someday. I just can't yet, you understand, don't you?"  
  
"Of course I do, darling. Just know that I'm here if you need me."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Elizabeth and Will walked into their dark house. Will went from room to room, lighting enough  
  
candles so they could at least see to get ready for bed, and when he came back to the front room he  
  
found his wife sitting on the couch holding her head and crying.   
  
"Elizabeth! What is it? Is it the baby? Are you all right?" She waved her hand as if to ward off  
  
more questions while she shook her head.   
  
"It's Catherine. I hate so much that she has to go through this." Will sat down next to his wife  
  
and put his arms around her as she wept for her sister's sorrow. "All she ever wanted to do was live  
  
her own life with the man she loved, away from the constrictions of our childhood, and I'm living her  
  
dream while she sits at home in agony because she dared to love a pirate."   
  
"I know, sweetheart, I know. We all want Jack to come back for her, but there's no point  
  
getting this distraught. You have the baby to think of. We all do." As Will was comforting his wife, a  
  
cry was heard in the streets.   
  
"Pirates! Pirates in Port Royal!" Will and Elizabeth looked at each other hopefully.   
  
"Stay here," Will said to his wife as he ran outside, taking his sword with him just in case. The  
  
sight that awaited him was so nonthreatening it was ridiculous. Four jolly pirates were waltzing down  
  
the street, swords sheathed and laughing. The person sounding the alarm was an old woman standing  
  
outside her door picking up her cat. It is understandable that she was alarmed, especially after the  
  
violence of the year before, but there was no way that these people were planning to attack anyone.   
  
Just as Will was laughing at the situation, the pirate at the head of the merry band raised his hand in  
  
greeting.   
  
"Will, me boy!" Will's mouth dropped open.   
  
"Jack!" The pirate swaggered up to him and slapped him on the back as he grinned like a little  
  
boy. This seemed to disturb the old woman more than anything. She began mumbling incoherently and  
  
shaking with terror, unable to move, as her cat struggled to escape her grasp. Will walked up to his  
  
neighbor and took her hand reassureadly.   
  
"It's all right, Mrs. Brown," he said as he gently turned the frightened lady back to her door.   
  
"These are not the pirates who attacked Port Royal last year. These are friends of my father's. It's  
  
quite all right. You can go back inside without worry." Mrs. Brown nodded and hobbled back into her  
  
home, still glancing frightened over her shoulder, but she did seem comforted by Will's positive words  
  
and went back inside without any more distress. After she had closed her door, Will and the pirates  
  
broke into laughter, Jack doubled over, howling.   
  
"She thought we were goin' te steal 'er and 'er cat away to deal them inter slavery or  
  
somethin'." As Jack was wiping a tear of laughter away, Elizabeth walked outside to see what all the  
  
noise was about. Her jaw dropped and her hands fell down by her side in shock when she saw Jack.   
  
She immediately ran up and gave him an enormous hug, throwing him completely off guard.   
  
"Elizabeth! Hello, lass . . . er, glad ter see ye too?" he said as he patted her awkwardly on the  
  
back.   
  
"Oh Jack, I'm so glad to see you! We both are! We were just talking about you! Oh I'm so  
  
happy you're here!" She finally let go of Jack and stepped back beside her husband. As she moved  
  
away, Jack let out an exclamation at the sight of her enormous belly.   
  
"Good God, woman . . . Will, nice work mate, congratulations . . . thought ye'd be married by  
  
now, but I wasn't expectin' this so soon!" The pirate winked at Will as he playfully punched him in the  
  
shoulder. "Didn't waste any time, did ye lad?" Will turned a deep shade of scarlet. Jack looked as if  
  
he'd continue teasing him, but he was interrupted by Gibbs, Anna Maria, and Mr. Cotton all stepping  
  
forward to greet the couple. They stood outside chatting for a moment, then Jack sent his crew mates  
  
back to the ship while he joined Will and Elizabeth inside their cheerful house.   
  
"Jack, I can't even tell you how glad I am that you've come back," said Elizabeth as she  
  
lowered herself gingerly onto the sofa, wincing slightly as she held her belly. "We were beginning to  
  
think the worse." Will nodded as he helped his wife get comfortable. Jack took his hat off and set it on  
  
the side table next to the chair he had plopped down in.   
  
"Aye, I wanted to rush back as soon as I got te the Pearl, but Gibbs talked some sense inter  
  
me. It woulda been too dangerous, fer all of us." The pirate became more serious as he talked. "Will,  
  
Elizabeth, I wanted ter find ye, te ask ye about, about Cate."   
  
"Oh Jack, she's . . . " Elizabeth paused as her face tightened at a discomfort in her belly, "she's  
  
. . . oh!" The woman's thought was completely interrupted as she bent over in pain.   
  
"Elizabeth!" Will rushed to his wife's side.   
  
"Will, get the midwife, the baby's coming!!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Will came back with the midwife minutes later to find Elizabeth quite calm and Jack ranting like  
  
a madman. Apparently a woman in labor was not something he was used to. Elizabeth looked over at  
  
Will, pleading with her eyes, and he grabbed Jack by the shoulders and shook him a little until he  
  
calmed down. As the midwife helped her up and into the bedroom, Elizabeth shouted some brief  
  
orders over her shoulder as she went to deliver her baby.   
  
"Jack, go back to the Pearl. Will will come for you after the baby's here, just wait there." The  
  
pirate nodded and went out, still a little shaken by the situation. After he had left, Elizabeth said to her  
  
husband, "Will, fetch Catherine."  
  
Hours later, Elizabeth lay in bed exhausted cradling her new baby boy as Will kissed her and  
  
sat down beside them, filled with pride. Catherine was on the other side of her sister, one hand  
  
stroking Elizabeth's hair and the other caressing the child's tiny hand. The midwife had just left with her  
  
things, and life at the Turner house was calm as usual with the addition of a small new resident. The  
  
new parents were absolutely glowing with joy as Catherine asked,  
  
"What is his name?" Will looked at his wife with a question in his eyes. She nodded.   
  
"Well, that depends on you, really," Will said to his sister-in-law.   
  
"Me?" Catherine looked puzzled.   
  
"Yes, we wanted to ask your permission. We want to name him Jack." Catherine stared at  
  
them for a moment before nodding silently. As she sat there playing with her new nephew, Will looked  
  
at his wife, questioning her with his eyes. Elizabeth shook her head.  
  
"Not yet," she whispered to Will. "We don't need to tell her, she just needs to see him. We'll  
  
arrange it all in the morning."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	13. Reunion

sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, i've been on vacation. also, thanks for the massive amount of reviews, especially to loony. geez, child, that's alot of reviewin' you've been doing! many thanks  
  
Chapter Thirteen-Reunion  
  
A small boy was playing with a large wooden hoop in the street in front of the Turners's house  
  
the next morning. He fell and gave a cry as his hoop spun away from him. The boy looked up from the  
  
ground to see Will standing a few feet before him, holding the hoop.   
  
"Here, let me help you up," Will said compassionately as he helped the child to his feet and  
  
dusted him off. "No harm, I imagine?" The boy shook his head. "Good lad. May I ask what you are  
  
doing playing out in the street this morning? Where are your parents?" The boy pointed back down  
  
the street toward the market square.   
  
"Mum's at the market and she told me to go play." Will looked toward the square to see a  
  
woman shopping who occasionally walked over and looked down the street to check on the child.   
  
"Do you think your mum would mind if I asked you to run an errand to the harbor for me? I  
  
would pay you, of course." The boy jumped at the mention of payment.   
  
"Oh no, sir, but I could ask her if you like?" Will nodded and the boy ran down to the market.   
  
After talking to his mother for a moment, the woman looked down the street to Will who waved kindly,  
  
and nodded. The boy ran back up the street.   
  
"She said it would be all right."  
  
"Good. What's your name, son?" Will asked, smiling at the child's good nature.   
  
"Peter, sir." Will nodded, walked back into his house for a moment and emerged with a piece  
  
of paper, a quill, and a coin. He quickly scribbled a note on the paper, folded it, and handed it to the  
  
boy.   
  
"Well, Peter, all I need you to do is to take this note down to the docks for me. You will see a  
  
person or two just sitting on the pier. These people will probably look like pirates, but don't be afraid,  
  
they won't hurt you." Peter winced slightly at the thought of meeting a pirate. He was not too young to  
  
remember the attacks. Will patted his back reassuringly. "Trust me, they won't harm you, these  
  
people are actually quite nice. When you see them, ask if they know Will Turner. If they say yes, give  
  
them the note and tell them it is for Jack from Will, following me so far?" Peter nodded seriously.   
  
"They should take the note to a ship and may return with another man. He will come here, but you  
  
don't have to go with him if you don't want to. Come back here any time today and I will give you a  
  
shilling, sound reasonable?"   
  
"Yes sir!" Peter ran off to the harbor. Will watched him dash down the street, smiling. He  
  
hoped his own son would be as amiable a child as this. He laughed as he imagined the possibilities.   
  
With Will's bloodline and Elizabeth's feisty nature it was much more probable that Jack would be a  
  
little trouble maker. Will Turner went back inside.   
  
"Did you send word to Jack?" Elizabeth asked sleepily as her husband sat down beside her on  
  
their bed.   
  
"Yes, sweetheart. He should come soon."  
  
"Good. Catherine's in the back parlor with the baby." Will rose and stuck his head out of the  
  
door to see his sister-in-law sitting in a rocking chair with little Jack in her arms, both sound asleep.   
  
Catherine had not left the Turners's all night, even after the Governor had come to see his new  
  
grandson and left again. Will smiled as he thought to himself,  
  
"I'll let her sleep. She should be awake soon enough!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Captain Jack Sparrow strode through the streets of Port Royal with little Peter running behind  
  
him. The boy had been frightened of him at first, but did not want to appear the coward and went back  
  
with him anyway. Jack had soon put the boy at ease with his jovial nature, and the two were quite  
  
happy as they walked back to the Turners'. They reached the door just as Will was coming outside to  
  
see if they were coming. The two men shook hands jovially, and Will turned to Peter and gave him his  
  
shilling. The boy thanked him and ran back to his mother, grinning from ear to ear.   
  
"Nice kid that one," Jack said as the child ran away. "So, yer a dad, then, eh Will?" The pirate  
  
grinned and slapped his friend on the back. "Congratulations, mate." Will just smiled as he led Jack  
  
inside and to the bedroom, where Elizabeth was waiting. She smiled as Sparrow bent down and kissed  
  
her cheek. "Nice work, love, I'm happy for ye. Was it a boy or a girl?"  
  
"A boy," Elizabeth said as she grinned. "A boy named Jack." The pirate beamed at the  
  
couple.   
  
"Jack, eh? Named yer son after me! Now that's a compliment, te be sure." Will and  
  
Elizabeth laughed to see how pleased Jack was. The pirate glanced around the room. "Where is the  
  
little tyke?" Elizabeth nodded to her husband. Will led Jack over to the door to the back parlor.   
  
"He's in here," he said. "...with his aunt." Jack's face suddenly became very solemn. His  
  
chest grew tight and he swallowed hard as he looked at Will and Elizabeth. "She's in there?" The two  
  
nodded, and Will opened the door.   
  
Jack walked inside the room filled with streams of sunlight to see Catherine sitting in a rocking  
  
chair with her head lolled forward onto her chest, asleep, and the baby nestled in her arms. She awoke  
  
as Will gently took the baby off her lap and left the room. It took her a moment to look up and realize  
  
that Jack was standing right in front of her. The two stared at each other in disbelief for what seemed  
  
like an eternity, both hardly daring to believe this was real. Catherine then burst into tears, breaking the  
  
silent stare. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably, like she had needed to cry all  
  
year. Jack ran forward and got to his knees in front of her. He put his hands gingerly on her knees as  
  
he asked,  
  
"Are you all right, Cate? What's wrong?" Catherine looked up, hair disheveled and tears  
  
streaming down her cheeks, and slapped the pirate across the face. Jack looked up, puzzled. "What  
  
was that for?"  
  
"What took you so damn long!?!" Jack smiled, and Catherine threw herself off the chair and  
  
into his arms. They clung to each other as they kissed again and again, their mouths passionately  
  
expressing what words could not. They sat there on the floor locked in each other's embrace until Will  
  
and Elizabeth opened the door to check on them. Catherine wiped the tears out of her eyes as she ran  
  
to her sister. "What are you doing up?!" Elizabeth smiled.   
  
"I had to see." Jack walked forward, tears shining in his own eyes, and put his arm around  
  
Catherine as he reached his other hand out to the couple.   
  
"Thank you."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Later that afternoon, Catherine and Jack were sitting in the front room of the Turners's house  
  
watching the baby while Will and Elizabeth slept. They sat on the sofa, Catherine snuggled  
  
against Jack's side and holding his arm while he held his little namesake in his lap. Big Jack just  
  
couldn't get enough of little Jack. Catherine smiled as she watched the pirate play with the  
  
baby, who was pulling on his long braided beard and laughing a slobbery, toothless laugh.   
  
Once the baby let go, Jack looked up at her and grinned.   
  
"Ye know, love," he said as little Jack wrapped his hand around big Jack's thumb, "it  
  
did somethin' te me when I walked in and saw ye sitting there sleepin' with a baby in yer arms. I liked  
  
the way that looked." Catherine grinned and fiddled with a strand of his beaded hair.   
  
"What are you saying, darling?" Jack looked down at his lap and blushed slightly.   
  
"Well, er....the thing is.....umm..."  
  
"Jack, do you want to get married?" The pirate looked up surprised at the bluntness of that  
  
statement.   
  
"Yes." Catherine's smile got even wider. "Cate, will ye marry me?" She pulled him as close  
  
as she could without disturbing the baby.   
  
"Of course I will." Jack flashed his gold teeth, ecstatic, and kissed her. Catherine wrinkled her  
  
nose playfully. "You'll have to get a bath first,though." The pirate laughed and rubbed his hair in her  
  
face, causing them both to burst into a fit of giggles. Baby Jack started to cry at the noise. They  
  
hushed quickly, Catherine taking the baby and rocking him gently to sleep. Jack watched with his head  
  
resting on his hand and a soft smile on his lips.   
  
"I love ye, lass." Catherine smiled one of those all knowing smiles that only women can make  
  
when they are completely content with life.  
  
"I know, Jack. I love you too."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After little Jack's parents had awoken, Catherine and Jack handed over the baby and set off  
  
for the harbor. Catherine wanted to say hello to the crew of the Black Pearl, and Jack wanted to tell  
  
everyone on the face of the planet that they were getting married. They strolled through the streets of  
  
Port Royal hand in hand, not caring who saw the governor's unruly elder daughter with the infamous  
  
Captain Jack Sparrow. As they walked, Catherine put her hand to her neck and pulled off a silver  
  
chain on which she wore the ring Jack had given to her before he escaped a year ago.   
  
"Here, Jack," she said as she handed the ring to the pirate. "I guess you can have this back  
  
now. I don't need the trinket when I've got the man." Jack smiled and put his hand up.   
  
"Keep it, love. I've gone without it fer a year, I don't need it now. I'll be givin' ye another ring  
  
that actually fits here soon enough anyway, ye might as well keep that'n as well." Catherine put the  
  
chain back around her neck as Jack was pulling something out of his belt. He held up his hand  
  
revealing her handkerchief. "I plan on keepin' this as well, but I'd appreciate it if ye'd carry it fer a  
  
while and perhaps wash it. It's stopped smelling like ye here lately." The girl looked at the pirate in  
  
surprise.   
  
"It smells like me?" Jack nodded emphatically, adding his typical waves and flourishes as he  
  
spoke.   
  
"Aye, love, at least it did until it got too soiled te smell like anythin' but dirt." Catherine threw  
  
her head back and laughed. She was her old self again, the self she had not been for an entire year. It  
  
felt good to laugh. Jack also was much more his old self with her than he had been on the open seas  
  
with his ship and crew this last year. He was still crazy, of course, but Catherine put the spring back in  
  
his drunken swagger.   
  
As the couple approached the harbor, a blue jacket came into view, followed by a pair  
  
of red jackets. It was Commodore Norrington on his way to the fort followed by the very same two  
  
soldiers whose acquaintance Jack had made the year before during the Commodore's promotion  
  
ceremony. Norrington was in the process of making a short bow of greeting to Catherine when he  
  
realized in whose company she was traveling. The commodore stood there for a moment with his  
  
mouth hanging open as Jack shouted out a boisterous salutation.   
  
"Commodore! Haven't seen you in a long while, eh mate? Gents?" The two soldiers smiled at  
  
the pirate's cheerful recollection and started to go forward in greeting when Norrington gave them a  
  
sharp look that sent them back to their rigid positions behind him. The Commodore walked forward  
  
slowly, his hands clasped behind his back and an icy disdain in his eyes.   
  
"Well, well, if it isn't Jack Sparrow."  
  
"Captain Jack Sparrow, if ye please."  
  
"Ah yes. I thought we had seen the last of you in Port Royal. Might I inquire as to why you  
  
have decided to," the commodore wrinkled his nose in disgust as he drew close to the pirate, "...grace  
  
us with your presence?" Jack twiddled his beard and glanced sideways at Catherine.   
  
"Well, I, uh..." she shook her head very slightly, "I was just 'ere payin' a visit to some old  
  
friends." Norrington narrowed his eyes distrust as he looked at Sparrow.  
  
"Be that as it may, I am afraid I shall have to take you into custody. You are still a pirate and  
  
are still in violation of the law. Seize him." The two soldiers reluctantly moved towards Jack, who  
  
waved his hands in frustration.   
  
"Not again with this hangin' business, I really'd rather not do that again." As the guards  
  
reached out to grab Jack's arms Catherine stepped forward, knocking their hands away.   
  
"Commodore, you will not lay a hand on this man," she said as she walked right up to  
  
Norrington.   
  
"Oh really, and what authority do you have to stop me?" Norrington was not about to be  
  
stopped by Catherine. He had never been really fond of her, and he was still a little bitter about the  
  
whole affair of a year ago.   
  
"I believe you will find that Captain Sparrow is not here to cause mischief. You will also  
  
discover, should you take him into custody, that my father has gained a new respect for the man who  
  
saved his daughters' lives so many times, and will be quite angry if he his locked up for simply being  
  
here." Catherine glowed with fiery defiance as Jack stood behind her, arms crossed and looking quite  
  
full of himself. "You would very much regret these actions later if my father was to find out, which he  
  
would." Norrington backed away coldly, reluctant to allow such prey to escape again.   
  
"Very well. But I warn you," the commodore said to Jack, "...you are to leave Port Royal  
  
immediately, and if I hear that you have remained here you will find yourself facing a noose." Jack  
  
placed his hands together in mock gratitude and bowed as the commodore and his men continued on  
  
their way. After the soldiers were well out of earshot, Catherine and Jack burst into laughter and ran  
  
down the street towards the harbor and the Pearl.   
  
"Can you believe that man!" Catherine said gaily as she ran. Jack flailed his arms as he trotted  
  
along beside her and suddenly stiffened in imitation of the commodore.   
  
"You are to leave Port Royal before you find yerself facin' a noose," the pirate said mockingly.   
  
"What's he think that'll do, scare me?" He suddenly stopped and waved his hands in front of his face,  
  
pretending to be afraid. "Oh no! Not hanging! Whatever shall I do?" The couple ran on, laughing  
  
hysterically, not slowing until they reached the pier where Cotton was waiting with his parrot and a  
  
rowboat.   
  
"Hello, Mr. Cotton, how are you?" Catherine asked as the old pirate gave her his hand to help  
  
her into the rowboat. The parrot squawked,   
  
"Wind in yer sails, wind in yer sails..." Catherine smiled.   
  
"Glad to hear it."  
  
"Mr. Cotton," Jack said as he took his place in the boat, "Back to the Pearl, I have some news  
  
fer everyone." 


	14. Governor Swann

Chapter Fourteen-Governor Swann  
  
*This story just seems to get longer and longer...keep up, everyone, I'll finish it eventually!  
  
"Miss Catherine!"  
  
"Mr. Gibbs!" Catherine shouted as she and Jack climbed aboard the Black Pearl. "It's  
  
wonderful to see you!" She ran up to the scruffy old sailor and gave him a huge hug, which caught  
  
Gibbs completely off guard. He wasn't used to being assaulted by young ladies that didn't work on the  
  
street corner in Tortuga.   
  
" Happy ter see you too, miss!"  
  
"Gibbs, you don't have to call me 'miss'. You may as well start calling me just Catherine, or  
  
Cate, since you'll be seeing a lot more of me soon," Catherine replied with a smile. Gibbs, as well as  
  
the other crew members who had gathered to say hello looked at her with puzzlement. Catherine just  
  
smiled up at Jack, who was standing behind her, laughing at the confusion which was coming over the  
  
crew. "Care to do the honors, Jack?" He responded with a wave of his hand.   
  
"Certainly, m'dear. All hands on deck!" Jack shouted to the crew, all of whom were quickly  
  
assembled on deck. Their captain was beaming and swaying back and forth even more than he usually  
  
did. "Everybody here? Good. Gents...and Anna Maria...." Jack said with an apologetic wave to the  
  
tough (and easily angered) woman, "I'd like ye all ter meet Catherine....the future Mrs. Captain Jack  
  
Sparrow!"   
  
Silence. The crew gaped at them, mouths hanging open, unable to fathom the idea that anyone  
  
would actually want to marry Jack Sparrow. Catherine looked back and forth from Jack to his crew,  
  
hardly able to contain the laughter which threatened to take over her body at the sight. Jack stuck his  
  
head forward, waiting for his crew to react. Finally, the silence was broken as Gibbs let out a cheer  
  
and rushed up to congratulate the couple (and warn Catherine what she was getting herself into), an  
  
action that most of the pirates repeated.   
  
"Hope yer ready ter put up with him full time, lass," said Gibbs merrily as he clapped Jack on  
  
the back. As Anna Maria was congratulating Catherine, Gibbs leaned over and whispered to Jack,  
  
who was grinning idiotically, "Well done, mate. I knew ye'd find a keeper one o' these days."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
An hour or so later Jack and Catherine were in a rowboat back to shore. Upon  
  
reaching the docks, Catherine stepped out of the boat, pushing Jack back in as he made to climb out  
  
behind her. The pirate looked up at her with an openly confused look on his face. Catherine just  
  
shook her head.   
  
"Sorry, Jack, but you've got to stay on the Pearl for a little while. I don't want to give  
  
Norrington the chance to hang you for walking down the street." Jack crossed his arms, trying to  
  
appear pouty. "Savvy?" Catherine added as an afterthought, making Jack laugh.   
  
"All right, you win, love," he conceded. "I'll send someone to wait at the docks if ye need me."   
  
He looked up at her with a sly grin on his face and turned up the corners of his moustache as he  
  
wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "That is, if ye want me..."   
  
"Haha! Not just yet, Captain Sparrow," Catherine said in between laughs as Jack sat in the  
  
rowboat trying to look provocative. "Don't get ahead of yourself, darling. There's still a wedding  
  
that's got to take place, remember?" Jack let out an exaggerated sigh.   
  
"All right, all right....see ye soon, love," he said as Catherine reached down to kiss him. "I'll  
  
just be out there on my ship....full of men....and Anna Maria......and a parrot." He rowed off back to  
  
the Pearl huffing and puffing, leaving Catherine standing on the pier, laughing and waving. After he  
  
disappeared from sight, she turned and began walking back towards the governor's mansion.   
  
When Catherine was in sight of home, she met Will coming back from the market with things  
  
for Elizabeth and the baby. When asked if she was coming to the house, she just shook her head.   
  
"No, thank you Will. I'm going to talk to father." Will stopped dead in his tracks.   
  
"You're doing what?"  
  
"Going to talk to father." Will's eyes got very wide.   
  
"You're going to talk to him about...."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That could be...."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Are you sure..."  
  
"Positive." Will just stood there staring at his sister-in-law in marvel at her daring. Governor  
  
Swann was deeply upset when Elizabeth chose to marry a blacksmith. One could only guess what he  
  
would do if he found out Catherine was going to marry a pirate.   
  
"Does Elizabeth know about this?"  
  
"No, but you are free to inform her. I don't know what good it would do, since she's not  
  
exactly capable of running down the street to stop me at the moment." Catherine began walking  
  
determinedly towards the mansion. Will dashed in front of her.   
  
"At least wait a few minutes so we can go with you. Moral support, you know." Catherine  
  
crossed her arms and stood in thought for a minute.   
  
"Oh all right." It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to have Will and Elizabeth there to help back  
  
up her decision. "I'm going to go on up to the mansion, but I promise not to say anything until you get  
  
there. Fair enough?" Will nodded.   
  
"Fair enough."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Catherine and Governor Swann sat in the parlor of the governor's mansion drinking tea in  
  
silence.   
  
"Catherine?"  
  
"Yes father?" The governor put down his cup and looked at his eldest daughter.   
  
"Is there something you need to tell me or are you just maintaining this awkward silence for  
  
fun?" Catherine almost dropped her cup.   
  
"Actually, there is, but I promised Will and Elizabeth that I wouldn't tell you until they got here."   
  
Governor Swann turned his head, confused.   
  
"Why is that?" Catherine grew more tense as the seconds pressed on. She became more and  
  
more glad that Elizabeth and Will would be here when she finally did tell him.   
  
"They wanted to be here for moral support, so to speak." The governor became even more  
  
confused and slightly vexed by this answer.   
  
"Is this something so great that you need moral support?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Catherine...." Just at that moment a servant opened the parlor door and Will, Elizabeth, and  
  
baby Jack entered the room. They immediately sat down, Will and the baby in a chair next to his  
  
father-in-law and Elizabeth next to her sister on the sofa. Their faces were tense. Governor Swann  
  
grew more and more uneasy. "Catherine, what's going on?" Catherine cleared her throat and began.   
  
"Father, I didn't exactly tell you everything that happened last year."  
  
"What do you mean? I thought we had been through all this?" Catherine looked down at her  
  
lap, more timid than she had ever been.   
  
"We have, it's just that every time we've talked about it I've left out a very important detail."   
  
Her father leaned forward, waiting for an explanation of what that detail was.   
  
"And that is..." Elizabeth squeezed her sister's hand. Catherine raised her head and looked her  
  
father straight in the eye.   
  
"The thing is this: while we were away, I...I fell in love." Governor Swann stared at her,  
  
racking his brain trying to think of who this mystery man could be that had won the heart of his wild  
  
daughter.   
  
"And who exactly did you fall in love with? One of our soldiers, perhaps?" He was trying to  
  
think of the most favorable of answers to this question, but was discouraged by the look on Catherine's  
  
face. "Do I even know this man?"  
  
"Yes. Vaguely, but you do know him." The governor looked from Elizabeth to Will and back  
  
again, trying to get some kind of hint from them. "You've said that you've known something has been  
  
bothering me, and this is it. I've been separated from him for a year, and now he's come back,  
  
and...we want to get married." Governor Swann blinked hard and shook his head, trying to absorb this  
  
information.   
  
"You want to get married?" Catherine nodded. "Well, spit it out, child, who is he?"  
  
"Jack Sparrow." The governor's jaw dropped. He just sat there wide eyed and staring at his  
  
daughter. Had he heard her right? Did she say Jack Sparrow? Jack Sparrow the pirate? After what  
  
seemed like an eternity, he broke the silence which had taken over the sunny room.   
  
"I'm sorry, did you say Jack Sparrow? The pirate?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You want to marry a pirate!" The governor began to react the way they had all dreaded. He  
  
rose quickly and began pacing the room, ranting as he went. "Jack Sparrow!! Good God, Catherine,  
  
the man's a bloody pirate! He's infamous! He a scoundrel! I thought it was bad when Elizabeth  
  
married a blacksmith, but I should have known you'd have to find some way to top that....a pirate! I'd  
  
have thought that my wishes meant slightly more to you than that!" Catherine's face grew red with  
  
anger. Will made as if to try and talk to the governor, but Elizabeth shook her head. She knew what  
  
was coming, and she knew that it had to happen.   
  
"How DARE you say that to me!" Governor Swann stopped pacing and stared at his  
  
daughter, who had sprung to her feet and was now shouting angrily at him over the cries of baby Jack.   
  
"For all but this last year of my life you have tried to force me to go against all of my own wishes so that  
  
yours could be fulfilled. You have always made me do things I hated; stupid etiquette lessons, dinner  
  
parties, balls, and you made me put up with countless suitors who were no more suitable matches for  
  
me than a barmaid would be for you! Don't you talk to me about respect for your wishes when you  
  
have never respected mine!" The governor was dumbstruck. Catherine had never spoken like this to  
  
him in her entire life. She had defied him countless times, but for her to be this openly adverse was a  
  
new experience. After catching her breath, Catherine continued. "I love Jack and he loves me. I am  
  
going to marry him whether you like it or not, but I was hoping you would understand how important  
  
this is to me. I wanted my father to give me away at my wedding, but if you can't bring yourself to do  
  
that, fine!" With that Catherine stormed off, slamming the door behind her. Elizabeth ran after her only  
  
to find the door to her bedroom locked. She returned to the parlor to find her father staring at the door  
  
in shock and her husband sitting there, quite distressed, trying to calm their screaming son. She calmly  
  
took baby Jack from Will, hushed his screams, and handed him to a maid who was unfortunate enough  
  
to be changing the candlesticks during the incident.   
  
"Hold him, will you?" Elizabeth then turned to Governor Swann, motioning for Will to follow  
  
her actions. "Father?" The governor was shaken out of his state of shock and bent his face down to  
  
his younger daughter and her husband.   
  
"Elizabeth. She can't...she wouldn't...would she?" Elizabeth sighed and pulled her father over  
  
to the couch.   
  
"Now father, did you ever believe that Catherine would be the type to marry any of the kinds of  
  
men you would wish her to?" She continued before giving him a chance to answer. "She's too wild  
  
and passionate to settle down with anyone, but she is the perfect woman to sail the seas as the wife of a  
  
pirate." The governor brought his hand to his forehead.   
  
"But..."  
  
"There is no 'but', father. Catherine loves Jack with all of her heart and soul, and he loves her  
  
just as much as she loves him. I know you could see how she's been this last year. Can you not see  
  
the change now that he's back in her life? If you tried to separate them again, she would only run  
  
away. If you tried and succeeded, it would kill her." Governor Swann put his head in his hands. "Can  
  
you not see that this must be?"  
  
"Will?"  
  
"Yes, Governor?"  
  
"Do you think this as well?" The mild mannered blacksmith sighed and clasped his hands  
  
behind his back.   
  
"Who else could Catherine be happy with but a pirate? This would be the life she's always  
  
dreamed of." The governor looked up, becoming more resigned.   
  
"Would he hurt her?" Will shook his head vehemently.   
  
"Jack would die before he did anything to hurt Catherine." Elizabeth took her father's hand  
  
gently.  
  
"You've said yourself how much more respect you've gained for Jack since you've learned  
  
what he did; you said he must be a good and noble man. Don't let this change your opinion. Let him  
  
be the man who was good and noble enough to earn Catherine's love. No one else could deserve it  
  
more." The governor shook his head and stood up, regaining his composure. He nodded to his  
  
daughter and son-in-law and left the room, walking upstairs and knocking on Catherine's door.   
  
"Catherine?"  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Open the door, please." She pulled the door back and stood defiantly staring up at her father  
  
as angry tears ran down her cheeks.   
  
"Yes?" Governor Swann gave a small smile to his daughter and held out his arms.   
  
"You can't be angry with me. After all, we've got a wedding to arrange." Catherine's mouth  
  
gaped open. She stared at her father in disbelief for a moment before throwing herself into his  
  
embrace.   
  
"Oh thank you, father." 


	15. Meet the Parents

Chapter Fifteen-Meet the Parents  
  
Catherine ran down the stairs of the governor's mansion, through the parlor doors, and smack  
  
into Will, who was pacing the room waiting to see what was happening. He looked up in daze from the  
  
floor at his sister-in-law, who was sitting on his chest grinning.   
  
"He gives his blessing!" Catherine let out an ecstatic laugh and planted a huge kiss on Will's  
  
cheek before springing up to go assault Elizabeth, who was sitting on the sofa staring dumbfounded at  
  
her sister. Elizabeth found herself pulled up off the couch by her Catherine, who was looking more than  
  
a little mad with her hair an auburn cloud flowing around her head, her eyes flashing and laughing like a  
  
hyena. After being spun around a few times, Elizabeth managed to break free of Catherine's grasp and  
  
plopped back on the sofa, disheveled and panting as her sister continued twirling and running about the  
  
otherwise peaceful and sedate looking room.   
  
"Catherine. Catherine? CATHERINE!" Catherine ceased spinning and began merely hopping  
  
up and down as she turned to face her little sister.   
  
"Yes, Tess my darling? What can I do for you on this glorious day!" she said as she continued  
  
dancing with excitement. Elizabeth tried to follow Catherine's movements with her eyes, became dizzy  
  
and shook her head before finally answering.   
  
"Will you PLEASE stand still long enough to tell us what happened!?!"   
  
"Oh of course! Father has given his blessing for me to marry Jack! Jack is back and we're  
  
going to be married and Father approves and you have a baby and life is perfect, perfect, perfect!"  
  
Elizabeth gave out a cry of excitement as she rushed off of the sofa and encircled Catherine in  
  
her arms.   
  
"Oh Cate, that's fabulous! I'm so happy for you!" Catherine just beamed ecstatically and  
  
kissed her sister on the cheek. She then went over to Will, who was still watching the scene in a daze  
  
from the floor, and pulled him up, kissing him again before she dashed over to the maid who was still  
  
standing in the corner holding the baby and gave her a huge hug. The maid shook herself off and went  
  
up to Elizabeth, holding the baby out in front of her.   
  
"May I go, miss?" Elizabeth, who had completely forgotten that the poor girl had been standing  
  
there, an innocent bystander to this whole ordeal, took baby Jack from her.   
  
"Of course you may go! I'm so sorry for just leaving you there, I forgot!" The maid  
  
straightened her cap and gave a rushed curtsey as she hurried from the room, leaving the sisters and  
  
Will alone. Catherine was still bouncing around with joy, Will was still staring stupidly at the whole  
  
event, and Elizabeth cradled her baby as she watched the maid go out of the door, from which she saw  
  
her father standing, looking in on the scene with a smile on his face. Elizabeth grinned at him as he  
  
entered the room.   
  
"Well, now that we've had our excitement," Governor Swann said as he strolled into the parlor,  
  
his hands clasped behind his back and a slight but happy smile on his face, "...when do I get to see the  
  
bridegroom?" Catherine ran over to her father and embraced him emphatically before running towards  
  
the door. She was halfway through the entrance hall when Will, who had finally snapped back to life,  
  
overtook her.   
  
"Whoa there," he said as he gently took her arm. "Let me go fetch him. The sight of you two  
  
running through the streets laughing like idiots would have Norrington on Jack faster than you could say  
  
'wedding'". Will grinned childishly at Catherine as she stepped aside and he ran out the door.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Will, would ye please tell me what this is about? Yer grinning like an idiot!" Jack said as he  
  
followed his friend through side streets, taking the back way to the governor's mansion to avoid a  
  
confrontation with Norrington's soldiers. Will just smiled and said,  
  
"No, afraid I can't tell you. You'll just have to wait and see!" Will winked at the pirate, who  
  
shook his head in confusion and continued trotting through the streets in his usual style, arms flailing and  
  
sashaying from side to side. Within minutes the two were in the front hall of the governor's mansion,  
  
with every servant in the vicinity stopping to stair at the pirate who had just strolled into the governor's  
  
home. They got an even stranger site as Catherine came running out of the parlor, springing into Jack's  
  
arms.   
  
"Happy ter see ye too, love," Jack managed to say as his fiancé knocked all the wind out of his  
  
lungs. He laughed as Catherine just giggled and planted a huge, wet kiss on his cheek. "What's the  
  
happy occasion?"  
  
"Oh Jack!" Catherine said as she laced her fingers behind the pirate's brown neck and leaned  
  
back to look him in the face. "I've told Father about us..."  
  
"You what?" Jack interrupted, taken aback with surprise. He had not expected the governor  
  
to know anything of this. Catherine just laughed again at the puzzlement on his face.   
  
"I told him everything, and he gives his blessing for us to be married!" Jack stuck a finger in his  
  
ear as if to clean it out and then tilted his head forward.   
  
"Come again, love? Did you say your father, the Governor of Jamaica, gives his blessing for his  
  
daughter to marry a pirate?"  
  
"Yes, yes, yes! He gives his blessing and his consent! My father will give me away at our  
  
wedding!" Jack's jaw dropped in shock for a brief moment, before breaking out into a huge smile. He  
  
threw his head back and laughed as he wrapped his arms around Catherine, picking her up off the floor  
  
and spinning her around in circles. When he finally stopped whirling madly, Catherine wiped a tear of  
  
laughter away from her eye with one hand and reached up to caress Jack's cheek with the other.   
  
"Yes, that was my reaction as well." The pair heard a cough and turned to see Will standing  
  
over to the side smiling.   
  
"If you two have finished making everyone in the house dizzy," he said with a playful grin, "...I  
  
believe my father-in-law wishes to meet his soon to be new son-in-law." He held out his arm and  
  
bowed slightly, trying to lead them into the parlor where Governor Swann waited nervously with  
  
Elizabeth. Jack slapped Will on the back as he and Catherine walked towards the door.   
  
"We're as good as brothers now, mate! Knew that pirate blood would come in handy!" Will  
  
smiled widely and pushed his disgruntled hair back as he made ready to follow the couple into the  
  
parlor.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Governor Swann rose from the couch as Catherine and Jack entered the room. Jack suddenly  
  
became very sober when he found himself actually facing the governor of Jamaica. He swallowed hard,  
  
shook his head, and walked up to the governor with a beaming Catherine on his arm.   
  
"Father," Catherine said as she led the pirate up to her father, who was trying to maintain an  
  
approving air, "this is my fiancé." Jack grinned somewhat shakily. Governor Swann held out his hand.   
  
"We have met before on less happy terms. I would like you to know that while it is hard for me  
  
to approve of a marriage between my eldest daughter and an infamous pirate, I do hold you in some  
  
esteem since my children have told me what you did for them a year ago." Jack breathed a small sigh  
  
of relief and took the governor's outstretched hand.   
  
"I appreciate that greatly, governor," said Jack as he let go of his future father-in-law's hand.   
  
"And I wanted ter thank ye for lettin' me get away after ye tried ter hang me." The Catherine coughed  
  
into her hand as Jack quickly tried to correct himself. "Not that I blame ye fer that or anythin'. Yer the  
  
gov'ner and you were just doin' yer duty, of course." Jack smiled sheepishly at Governor Swann, who  
  
smiled back after taking a moment to survey the man before him. Catherine grinned at the both of them  
  
before waving towards the sitting area.   
  
"Shall we sit down?" Catherine and Jack joined Elizabeth on the sofa from which the younger  
  
sister had been watching the conversation carefully as Will and Governor Swann sat down in the two  
  
chairs facing the couch.   
  
"So," said the governor as he settled himself awkwardly into his seat, "when do you want to  
  
have the wedding?"   
  
"Well, we must have it soon," said Catherine, still holding Jack's arm. "It is not safe for Jack  
  
here, what with the commodore waiting for him to make one wrong move."   
  
"Which I won't," Jack interjected hurriedly, trying to get on the good side of the governor. "I  
  
promise I'll be good." The pirate nervously began fiddling with his beard. Catherine patted his hand  
  
reassuringly.   
  
"Of course you will. Father, it's just that we ran into Norrington yesterday and he's just  
  
looking for a reason to hang Jack. I was barely able to talk him out of arresting Jack then!" Governor  
  
Swann frowned slightly.   
  
"Commodore Norrington knows Mr....excuse me, Captain Sparrow is here? You must be  
  
extremely careful not to run into him again. It would not bode well for me to interfere in the prosecution  
  
of a pirate, even if he is marrying my daughter." Elizabeth took this opportunity to speak up.   
  
"Father, Will and I have been the ones arranging for Jack to come in and out of Port Royal, and  
  
we are making sure that the utmost precaution is taken." Jack nodded towards Elizabeth. He just then  
  
realized that the baby was present, as he had just woken up. Jack let out a laugh and a huge smile.   
  
"Ah, there's me boy!" Elizabeth grinned and handed the baby to the pirate, who immediately  
  
began tickling the baby under his chin. Little Jack began giggling and grabbing at big Jack's beard.   
  
The governor laughed as he watched the strange sight of a rough and rowdy pirate making baby noises  
  
at the infant.   
  
"Jack, of course! I didn't make the connection. My grandson is named after you, I assume?"   
  
Elizabeth and Will nodded happily.   
  
"Aye, that he is, though I'm not sure the name is good enough for'em. Makes me happy  
  
enough, te be sure!"   
  
"Of course the name is good enough for him, Jack," said Will. "After all the trouble that names  
  
have brought us, you didn't think we'd give our son a name carelessly, did you?" They all laughed.   
  
Governor Swann was beginning to like Jack Sparrow more and more.   
  
"Well," the governor said as he stood up, "I am needed at the fort, but I am much relieved after  
  
this meeting." Jack smiled in his usual drunken fashion and nodded his thanks. "Catherine, Captain  
  
Sparrow, set the plans for your wedding, and I will be sure to be in attendance." Jack got to his feet  
  
and held his hand out again.   
  
"You can call me Jack, Gov'ner." Governor Swann smiled and eagerly shook hands with the  
  
pirate, nodded, and left. Will, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Jack all let out a sigh of immense relief and  
  
began laughing hysterically after the governor disappeared from sight and didn't stop until the baby  
  
began crying. Elizabeth rocked her baby and Will sat with one arm around her as he wiped away tears  
  
of laughter while Catherine wrapped her arms around Jack's neck and kissed him. Everything was  
  
wonderful; they were getting married with Governor Swann's consent. Nothing could go wrong now.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	16. Wedding

Chapter Sixteen-Wedding  
  
(Weddings? I love weddings! Drinks all around....)  
  
*This chapter is ridiculously long. I apologize in advance. As it is so freaking long, it also took me  
  
longer than normal to write it. Apologize for leaving everybody hanging for a few days, but you'd really  
  
hate me if I chopped this in two. Major things happening guys, we're closing in on a conclusion....  
  
Captain Jack Sparrow strolled through the streets of Port Royal, happy as a clam and not  
  
caring who saw him. He and Catherine were going to be married with the support of the governor. He  
  
didn't really think anything could put a damper on his spirits now, and he wasn't even drunk! As he  
  
swaggered through the back streets lined with small, humble homes, he suddenly ran into something to  
  
little for him to have noticed as he walked. After stumbling into a nearby wall, shaking his head and  
  
making sure his hat was still intact, Jack looked down to see what he had collided with. Sitting on the  
  
ground in front of him, looking quite shaken himself, was the same little boy who had been sent to fetch  
  
the pirate to Catherine the day before.   
  
"Peter, me boy!" Jack cried happily as he pulled the child to his feet. "Sorry lad, not hurt are  
  
ye?" The boy shook his head, still slightly dazed by his sudden encounter with Sparrow. "Good. Have  
  
you spent yer shilling yet, my young friend?"  
  
"No, sir," said Peter as he regained his bearings. "I can't decide what to spend it on!" The  
  
child held out his hands, apparently frustrated at the thought of the shiny coin burning a whole in his  
  
pocket, as Jack laughed at his innocence.   
  
"A nice hat's always a good thing ter have," said Jack as Peter dusted himself off. "Do you  
  
have a hat?"  
  
"No, sir."  
  
"Well there you are." Peter was smiling at the idea of buying himself a great big hat, just like  
  
Jack's, when a woman came out of a nearby doorway. She was calling Peter's name, but suddenly  
  
stopped short when she saw him talking to the pirate. As the woman ran up to snatch her child back  
  
inside, Jack straightened up and stuck his hand out.   
  
"Err, how d'ye do, ma'am. Just having a word with Peter here, hope ye don't mind?" The  
  
woman clutched Peter's shoulder and narrowed her eyes in appraisal as Peter explained to his mother  
  
who this man was. He told her that Jack was the basis of his job for Will Turner.   
  
"I know Mr. Turner and his wife," the woman said. "If they trust you then I guess it is all right  
  
for you to talk to my son." Jack folded his hands and bowed (which was actually more of a bobble) his  
  
thanks. "Unfortunately, it is past Peter's bedtime." The boy scurried inside with a look of  
  
disappointment on his face; he was really growing quite fond of the pirate. "Now," said Peter's mother  
  
with her arms crossed, "Peter didn't tell me your name?" Jack sort of coughed and shuffled from side  
  
to side, trying to think of the best way to avoid this unpleasant situation.   
  
"Well, that would be because he doesn't know me name."  
  
"That would make sense, I suppose. I mean, you are a pirate, are you not? It can't be too  
  
safe for you to be in Port Royal after what happened. I assume you know what I'm talking about?"   
  
Jack's mouth dropped open. This woman was trying to say that she thought he was one of the pirates  
  
who attacked the town a year ago!  
  
"Now wait just a minute! I know what yer tryin' to say, but I happened to have been locked in  
  
a cell in the fort when that blasted crew of mutineers attacked Port Royal, for your information!" The  
  
woman relaxed slightly, but still left her arms crossed in front of her chest as Jack looked behind her to  
  
see Peter with his ear pressed against the window of their home.   
  
"Very well. I still would be interested to know what business you have here. Why shouldn't I  
  
just alert the guard at the fort as to your presence?" Jack threw his hands up in frustration.   
  
"Because I'm not here to cause trouble! I just came for my girl, I just want to get married!" At  
  
this Peter's mother's mouth dropped open, Jack's shock now having been transferred to her. "Look  
  
Mrs....."  
  
"Thatcher."   
  
"Look Mrs. Thatcher, I really don't want any trouble. I don't have any ill will toward yer boy,  
  
I happen to like the kid. And I really wish ye'd tell me what to do to keep ye from lettin' that bloody  
  
commodore knowin' I'm still here! Outta respect fer the Turners, at least, could ye just keep yer  
  
peace?" Mrs. Thatcher's eyebrows rose in curiosity.   
  
"The Turners?" Jack smacked himself in the head, realizing what a stupid mistake he'd just  
  
made.   
  
"Had to do somethin' stupid. Aye, the Turners."  
  
"Very well, you tell me what this has to do with the Turners, and I will swear on my son's head  
  
that I won't turn you in." After looking at the woman sideways for a few minutes while flexing his  
  
fingers to help him think, Jack just shrugged his shoulders.   
  
"Because my girl is Mrs. Turner's sister. There, happy?" A look of complete and udder shock  
  
came over the woman's face.   
  
"What?"  
  
"Are ye gonna tell or not? Please let me know so I can be on me way."  
  
"No, I won't tell."   
  
"Thanks very much." And with that Jack Sparrow strode off towards his ship, not in the best  
  
of moods, leaving Peter's shocked mother standing in the street in front of her home. As left the street  
  
and went inside, a very small but greatly significant detail of the recent scene presented itself, a detail  
  
that would prove almost disastrous to Jack, Catherine, and everyone else involved: a face in a window  
  
across the street smiled and disappeared behind a curtain.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next day was one of excitement for Catherine. The entire morning and afternoon were  
  
spent making arrangements for the small, secret wedding that would take place that night. Will was  
  
running all across Port Royal looking for a trustworthy minister. Governor Swann was making sure that  
  
he would not be missed at the fort as well as swearing every member of his household to secrecy.   
  
Elizabeth, having found a nursemaid for baby Jack, had devoted herself entirely to her sister. She gave  
  
her advice and encouragement, as well as made her sit still long enough to fix her hair and calm her  
  
nerves. As Elizabeth stood behind her sister brushing her long auburn hair, she couldn't help but let a  
  
tear run down her cheek.   
  
"Cate?"  
  
"Yes, darling?"  
  
"You know how happy I am for you, and I wouldn't want to do anything to ruin your day,  
  
don't you?" Catherine nodded, confused as to where this was going.   
  
"Yes."  
  
"Have you realized that this may be your last day in Port Royal for a long time?" Catherine  
  
turned around her look at her sister, one arm resting on the back of her chair and the other twirling a  
  
strand of hair. "We won't be always together after today like we have been our entire lives."  
  
"Oh Tess," said Catherine as she stood up and took her sister into her arms. "I know that  
  
things will be very different. It may be months, even years between visits home, but that will make our  
  
meetings so much sweeter." Catherine, the strong child, stroked her baby sister's hair as she cried  
  
softly into her shoulder. "You will always be my Tess, no matter what happens, but I must go with  
  
Jack."  
  
"I know you must, I just wish there was some way for us to stay together as well," Elizabeth  
  
said, wiping the tears from her eyes.   
  
"I know, Tess, so do I." The two sisters stood there holding each other for a minute or two  
  
before Catherine sat back down in the chair and the wedding preparations began again. It was, after  
  
all, only an hour or so until dark. Only an hour or so until Jack and marriage.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
At the same time Elizabeth was setting Catherine's hair, Jack was being subjected to another  
  
form of grooming aboard the Pearl. He found himself submerged in a tub of water being scrubbed so  
  
hard his brown skin turned pink by Gibbs and Mr. Cotton while at the same time shouting at Anna  
  
Maria to be careful with his clothes, which she was scrubbing in another tub a few feet away.   
  
"Blast, Gibbs! Are ye tryin' to clean me or kill me!?!" Gibbs just laughed and threw a bucket  
  
of soapy water over Jack's head.   
  
"Don't ye want te be presentable fer yer lovely lady?" Jack looked up at him and sneered.   
  
Gibbs tilted his head to one side. "That and I had to get revenge fer that bucket o' water ye threw on  
  
me while I was sleepin' in Tortuga last year." As Gibbs smirked and scrubbed, Jack laughed  
  
sarcastically and splashed water all over Gibbs' front. As the two men continued their battle of wills  
  
and water, Mr. Cotton shook his head and continue to scrub while Anna Maria doubled over laughing.   
  
This was a sight you didn't see everyday!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After the sun had set and all was dark in Port Royal, Jack, Gibbs, and Anna Maria were let into  
  
the governor's mansion by Will, who showed them to a candlelit green in back of the house. At the  
  
same time the pirates were arriving for the wedding, a small woman in a tattered dress was talking to a  
  
small group of soldiers in the empty market square.   
  
"Ye'll never believe what I heard las' night, gents, ye'll just never believe it!" The soldiers  
  
laughed at the old woman, who would do anything for a decent story to tell them.   
  
"I saw a pirate standing in the street talking to that poor widow Thatcher!"   
  
"Oh come off it, Annie."  
  
"It's true I tell ye! And what's more, 'e was tellin' 'ow 'e was 'ere te get married!" One  
  
soldier was bent over with his hands on his knees, he was laughing so hard. The old woman put her  
  
hands on her hips obstinately.   
  
"And ye'll never guess who 'e said 'e was goin' te be marryin'."  
  
"We give up, Annie, who?"  
  
"The gov'ner's daughter! Ye know, the spitfire one wi' the wild 'air. 'E even went as far as ter  
  
say 'e was good friends wi' the other'n an' 'er 'usband!" Most of the soldiers broke out into hysterics  
  
at this last bit, but one of them stared at the tiny, wrinkled woman with a very serious look on her face.   
  
"This pirate, what did he look like, Annie?"  
  
"Well, 'e 'ad yer usual worn leather boots an' 'at. 'E also 'ad a red scarf tied about 'is 'ead  
  
an' long brown 'air wi' lots o' beads an' such tied inter it." The soldier's eyebrows shot up.   
  
"Did he look kind of crazy, waving his arms about and swaying?"   
  
"Aye." The soldier turned around and began running back to the fort. His fellows looked after  
  
him with curiosity.   
  
"What are you doing, mate?" The soldier turned his head and shouted over his shoulder as he  
  
ran.   
  
"I've got to tell Commodore Norrington! Jack Sparrow's in Port Royal!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A few minutes later the old gossip, Annie, was walking down the street on which she lived with  
  
her friend, another old gossip, as young Peter Thatcher was running up and down the street looking for  
  
his mother's cat. She had promised him that if he found the cat and brought it into the house for the  
  
night that she would take him to the market the next day to spend his shilling. As Peter was crawling  
  
underneath a small cart behind which the cat was lying, Annie and her friend passed his way.   
  
"I just don't believe it, Annie, tell me one more time what 'appened?"  
  
"I was talkin' ter some soldiers an' I told 'em 'bout that pirate an' what 'e said te the widow  
  
Thatcher, an' the next thing I knew the commodore his'self was stompin' off with a bunch o' soldiers te  
  
go and find 'im. I'm tellin' ye, May, I 'ave personally assisted in the capture o' a dangerous pirate!  
  
Ain't that just somethin'?" The two women continued chattering on their way. Peter, having  
  
completely forgotten the cat, shot out from under the cart with a look of horror on his face. The child  
  
ran as fast as he could back to his small house where his mother was waiting for him.   
  
"Mum! We've got to go help the pirate!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The stars were shining brightly as Catherine Swann took her father's arm and walked out onto  
  
the small patch of green behind the stately governor's mansion. The sight that met her eyes was one  
  
which she would treasure for the rest of her life. In place of a church aisle, there was a small trail on the  
  
grass lit by two shining rows of tiny lanterns leading up to a circle of candles and torches. Inside this  
  
circle she saw her sister holding a bright tropical flower with a long white ribbon tied around its stem  
  
and Will standing next to her with the baby, who also had a flower clutched in his tiny fist. Across the  
  
way from Elizabeth and Will stood Gibbs and Anna Maria, who also each had a flower and were the  
  
cleanest they could possibly be. In the very center of the circle stood a minister with an open Bible in  
  
his hand, and next to him stood Jack. Catherine beamed as she looked upon the man who would soon  
  
be her husband. If cleanliness was next to godliness, then Jack was the most pious of saints; everything  
  
about him had been cleaned. His clothes were crisp and his skin gave off a radiant glow; his hair was  
  
shining in the candlelight, each metal bead and coin sending tiny gold shimmers dancing across his face.   
  
Catherine smiled, turned to her father who squeezed her hand, and the two of them began their walk  
  
down the aisle.   
  
Jack Sparrow looked up from his shoes, which he had been staring at nervously ever since he  
  
had come outside, to see the most beautiful creature he had ever seen in his life. Catherine's deep hair  
  
was set in soft curls with small tendrils floating across her fair neck and shoulders. She wore a simple  
  
dress, a gown of her mother's, which was the soft ivory of a pearl darkened slightly by time and held a  
  
single white orchid in her graceful hand. Jack's breath caught in his throat as he looked on his bride.   
  
Catherine's face was set in a wide, loving smile as she walked down the aisle of lanterns, the glow from  
  
the fires unable to compete with the heavenly light radiating from her happy face and her fiery eyes. As  
  
she and her father reached the circle, Governor Swann turned to his daughter, kissed her once on each  
  
cheek, and then put her hand into that of the pirate. Together they turned to face the minister, ready to  
  
begin their life together hand in hand.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The residents of the small, quaint street of Port Royal on which Will and Elizabeth lived were  
  
awakened by a loud bang and the sound of splintering wood. As the alarmed neighbors came out of  
  
their doors to see what was happening, two soldiers emerged from the broken door of the Turner's  
  
small house.   
  
"There's no one here, sir." Commodore Norrington nodded, his hands clasped calmly behind  
  
his back.   
  
"Very well. The fact that they are not at home at this late hour makes it perfectly clear that  
  
there is only one other place they may be," he said, his voice beginning to take on a slightly excited  
  
tone. "Men, we move on. To the governor's mansion."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jack held Catherine's hand in his as he held out a shining gold band and repeated the words of  
  
commitment spoken by the minister. As he began to put the ring on her finger, a young voice was  
  
heard coming around the house.  
  
"Mr. Turner! Mr. Pirate! Is anybody there?" The wedding party turned to see a small boy  
  
running towards them, panting. Jack stooped down and grasped him by the shoulder.   
  
"What is it, Peter?" The child struggled to speak between gasps.   
  
"It's...the soldiers...commodore...on their way...looking for pirate...old lady...told  
  
about...wedding...guards coming..." Elizabeth let out a shriek. Jack stood up, his jaw set firmly, and  
  
clutched Catherine's hand as she began to breath faster and faster, trying not to panic and searching  
  
Jack's face for any sign of what to do.   
  
"Minister," said the pirate solemnly, "can we please complete the ceremony quickly?" The  
  
reverend nodded. Jack took Catherine's trembling hand and placed the ring on her finger. "With this  
  
ring, I thee wed." Tears slowly began trickling down her face as Jack held both of her hands tightly in  
  
his strong grasp. The two stared into each other's eyes, unmoving and silent.   
  
"I now pronounce you man and wife in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.   
  
Amen." The minister closed his Bible. Loud cries and the sound of heavy feet came from the house.   
  
Jack pulled his wife to him and kissed her, softly but painfully. As he withdrew Catherine placed her  
  
hands on his shoulders, pleading with her eyes. The pirate spoke without taking his eyes off of her tear  
  
stained face.   
  
"Peter." The child pulled himself up off the ground on which he had collapsed.   
  
"Yes, sir?"  
  
"Does your mother have a plan?"  
  
"Yes, sir. I am supposed to bring you back with me to hide until the soldiers go away."   
  
"Good lad. Catherine," Jack said as he took her hands off of his shoulders and placed them on  
  
Governor Swann's arm. "Wait here. I will bring you to me when it is safe." The woman nodded and  
  
lifted her trembling fingers to her husband's beloved face. Jack closed his eyes for a brief moment as  
  
his eyebrows knit together in anguish, then he opened his eyes, kissed Catherine's fingertips softly,  
  
hoisted the still panting Peter onto his back and ran off into the night. 


	17. Molly

Chapter Seventeen-Molly  
  
*I realize this story is absurdly long. Sorry. We are beginning to draw to a close, though, expect  
  
perhaps two more chapters before it's all over! In the mean time:  
  
Only seconds after Jack Sparrow had run off into the darkness with Peter clinging to his back,  
  
Commodore Norrington and his men walked out into the back yard as an old servant woman followed,  
  
screaming at them to leave the governor and his family alone. The commodore ignored the screeching  
  
woman and walked out triumphantly, expecting a small fight resulting in the capture of the pirate, but  
  
instead he saw Catherine, Elizabeth, Will, and Governor Swann silently glaring at him. Gibbs and Anna  
  
Maria had slipped away quietly when Jack ran off to follow him. Norrington looked quickly around the  
  
now solemn scene at the candles, the minister, and the anger which greeted him.   
  
"Commodore Norrington," the governor said authoritatively as he stepped forward. "May I  
  
ask what exactly do you think you are doing?" Norrington just lifted his chin calmly.   
  
"I am conducting a search for a dangerous fugitive."  
  
"Liar." Will stood with one hand on Elizabeth's arm, trying to prevent her from attacking the  
  
commodore.   
  
"I beg your pardon?" Elizabeth glared icily at the man before her.   
  
"Liar. You are looking for a man you hate so that you may release your anger." The  
  
commodore just narrowed his eyes slightly.   
  
"Mrs. Turner, regardless of my personal opinion of Jack Sparrow, he is a pirate and in violation  
  
of the law of this colony and of the crown. He was warned and he dared to return. I am merely doing  
  
my duty."  
  
"Are you now." At the cool, calm sound of Catherine's voice the commodore looked over to  
  
see the young woman standing strong and proud. The slight dislike that was usually present in her eyes  
  
when facing Commodore Norrington was now replaced with an intense, burning hatred.   
  
"I am sorry to insult your daughter, Governor, but you, Miss Catherine Swann, are not in a  
  
position to question my judgement in the performance of my duty," he said haughtily. Catherine drew  
  
herself up to her full height and turned to stare the man in front of her straight in the face, daring him to  
  
do anything to her.   
  
"My name is Catherine Sparrow."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jack emerged from an alley next to Peter's house to find his mother standing in the doorway  
  
scanning the street for any sign of the pirate or her son. When Jack appeared beside the small house  
  
carrying the boy on his back, Mrs. Thatcher hurried him inside and latched the door. After quickly  
  
checking to make sure the curtains were tightly drawn she went to the chair into which Jack had  
  
deposited a very exhausted Peter. As his mother ran her hand over the boy's forehead, Jack said,  
  
panting,  
  
"Don't worry, he's just dead tired." Mrs. Thatcher looked up to see the pirate standing with  
  
his hands on his hips, head bowed and gasping for air. He had run the entire way from the mansion  
  
with Peter's extra weight hanging from his shoulders. After lifting her son and placing him in his small  
  
bed the woman walked up to the pirate, almost afraid to ask what had happened.   
  
"Excuse me, but are you all right?" Jack fell into a nearby chair and put his head in his hands.   
  
"If ye mean physically, I'm bloody fine." He put his palms over his eyes and then pulled his  
  
arms back, entwining his fingers in his hair and smearing tears across his face. "Everything else is  
  
screamin." Mrs. Thatcher sat down next to the grief stricken man, trying to offer some comfort.   
  
"Is Catherine all right?" Jack closed his eyes.   
  
"She's trapped at the mansion. Bloody Norrington and his men where coming through as I was  
  
runnin. I had to leave her." Jack sat unmoving and staring at the floor. "I had to leave her. Again." A  
  
single tear slid down Mrs. Thatcher's cheek.   
  
"I can understand how much that hurts. Did you know that I'm a widow?" Jack shook his  
  
head. "My husband was a soldier. He died last year." The pirate looked up suddenly at the woman  
  
sitting next to him.   
  
"Last year?"  
  
"Yes. He died fighting a crew of bewitched pirates aboard the Dauntless." Jack placed one  
  
hand on Mrs. Thatcher's shoulder as he stared at her in shock.   
  
"A lot of men died that day. I was there." The widow looked inquisitively at the pirate,  
  
confused by what he had just said.   
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"Captain Jack Sparrow." Her mouth dropped open in shock for a moment before the woman  
  
said quietly,  
  
"Molly Thatcher." Jack nodded slightly in response. He was glad that Molly was the one here  
  
to help him. She understood the pain he was going through. After nodding her head and standing up  
  
quietly, Mrs. Thatcher motioned for Jack to follow her and led him down to the small cellar and into  
  
hiding.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You bastard," Will muttered quietly through clenched teeth as he and Elizabeth faced  
  
Commodore Norrington.   
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Turner, did you say something?" Will narrowed his eyes and raised his head  
  
while digging his fingernails into his palms.   
  
"No, Commodore."  
  
"Well then I suppose you and your family had best be on your way home." Norrington stared  
  
coldly at Will and Elizabeth as they hesitantly turned and walked slowly through the silent streets. The  
  
commodore had been filled with silent fury after learning that he had failed to stop the wedding that  
  
night. He was determined not to let Jack Sparrow have what he most desired, so he put Catherine  
  
under house arrest. She was to remained confined to the governor's mansion where a guard had been  
  
posted just inside every exit. The commodore was sure that Jack would either contact Catherine or  
  
come to her, and when he did the soldiers would be waiting to take him to the gallows. While Will,  
  
Elizabeth, and Governor Swann protested most vociferously, Catherine had stood silent and proud with  
  
a look of triumph in her eyes that only served to further inflame the commodore's disdain for the pirate  
  
and his new wife. Despite all of their efforts, Catherine found herself imprisoned in her father's house  
  
on her wedding night, able to do nothing but wait for any word from her husband.   
  
"Catherine, I'm so sorry," the governor said to his daughter after they had been left in relative  
  
peace. "I tried, but Commodore Norrington does have jurisdiction in these matters which I cannot  
  
override." Catherine turned sleepily towards her father, her wedding dress wrinkled from the  
  
excitement, one hand massaging the back of her tense neck and the other fingering Jack's ring on its  
  
chain.   
  
"I understand, Father." She smiled weakly. "I know you did everything you could. There is  
  
nothing to do now but wait." Catherine turned and began to climb the stairs up to her room. "I'd like  
  
to be alone now. Goodnight." Governor Swann watched painfully as his daughter made the ascent to  
  
the bedroom of her maidenhood to spend the first night of her marriage alone while her husband hid in  
  
the dank cellar of a poor widow and her son.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
The next day Elizabeth was in the market square shopping. She really didn't need to shop for  
  
herself, but today especially she needed to get out and think. She went from cart to cart pretending to  
  
concentrate on the goods in order to clear her head and try and formulate a plan to get Catherine and  
  
Jack out of Port Royal. The main problem at the moment was the fact that nobody knew where Jack  
  
was. As Elizabeth was absentmindedly looking over a barrel of apples, a hand was placed on her  
  
shoulder.   
  
"Elizabeth?" She spun around to see Molly Thatcher facing her looking tired and worried.   
  
"Molly, you scared me," Elizabeth said, putting her hand to her chest. "What's the matter?"   
  
Mrs. Thatcher looked around the square suspiciously.   
  
"Elizabeth, I need to talk to you very much. Will you come walk with me?"  
  
"Of course," said Elizabeth as she followed the woman towards the docks which were always  
  
vacant at this time of day. After the two women were well out of earshot of anyone else, Mrs.  
  
Thatcher spoke in a hushed voice.   
  
"Elizabeth, this is about Catherine." Elizabeth's ears perked up.   
  
"My son was the boy who ran into the wedding last night. Captain Sparrow is currently hiding  
  
in my cellar." Elizabeth's mouth dropped open.   
  
"Thank God he's safe. It would kill Catherine if anything happened to him," Elizabeth said as  
  
she breathed a small sigh of relief. "Now we've got to figure out how to get her to him."  
  
"Elizabeth, I've got a plan. We've got to go talk to Jack."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A few minutes later the two women and the pirate were seated around a tiny table which sat in  
  
the dark cellar of the Thatcher's house. Jack sat with one elbow on the table and his chin in his hand as  
  
the light began to slowly creep back into his eyes as Molly unveiled her scheme to free Catherine.   
  
"It could work," the pirate said as he twirled his beard. "It has to work," he muttered quietly to  
  
himself. Mrs. Thatcher rose from the table and went to go make a few necessary arrangements for the  
  
execution of their plan. Elizabeth made to get up as well, when Jack put a hand on her arm. "Before  
  
ye go, Elizabeth," he said as the woman resumed her place at the table. "Could ye just tell me who  
  
exactly this Molly Thatcher is?"  
  
"I thought you already knew," said Elizabeth, settling down and turning to Jack. "Molly's  
  
mother was Catherine and my governess up until the journey last year. She is two years older than  
  
Catherine and joined my father's staff when she was of working age. She stayed in our household until  
  
she got married and had Peter." Jack sat back in his chair soaking up information.   
  
"Well that explains a bit." Elizabeth nodded got up to go and inform Will and Jack's crew of  
  
the plan. "Elizabeth, thank you." The woman shrugged.   
  
"I love my sister. She loves you. There is nothing else to do." Elizabeth reached down and  
  
hugged the pirate briefly before turning and climbing the stairs out of the cellar. She stopped  
  
momentarily at the top to look back down on Jack where he sat at the small table. He sat with his chin  
  
resting tiredly in his hands; his eyes were bloodshot and shadowed. Elizabeth's heart ached for the pain  
  
this man was going through as she resumed her course of action. If all went as planned his pain as well  
  
as the pain of his wife would be alleviated. Elizabeth said a brief prayer for success as she rushed  
  
down the street towards the governor's mansion. 


	18. Freedom

Chapter Eighteen-Freedom  
  
*I'm sorry that this story has gotten so long and that it's taken me forever to get this chapter up,  
  
but I have spent the last two weeks trying to move in and get settled in college, so you'll  
  
understand. I know that there are a couple of chapters that are kind of boring compared to the  
  
rest and that this just goes on forever, but I appreciate the great reviews and just the fact that  
  
everybody is taking the time to read the product of my boredom. Thanks you guys, and I hope  
  
you enjoy the conclusion to my epic. Could there be a sequel in the future sometime? I don't  
  
know, you guys tell me! Ciao everyone.   
  
  
  
The governor's butler opened the door of the mansion the next day to see Will and  
  
Elizabeth. Moments later the two were sitting in the parlor with Catherine and Governor Swann,  
  
who both looked extremely stressed and pained. Governor Swann looked like an old man as he  
  
sat there with one hand to his forehead. Catherine carried herself with the proud, defiant air she  
  
had adopted since the wedding, the dark circles under her eyes the only trace of her anguish.   
  
Unbeknownst to the governor or his eldest daughter, today was the day that Catherine would  
  
make her run to love and to freedom. Elizabeth was speaking carefully, trying to avoid raising  
  
the suspicions of the guard who was standing by the door.   
  
"Cate, how are you faring?" she asked politely.   
  
"How do you think I'm faring?" Catherine replied, annoyed at the idiocy of the question.   
  
"I know this is extremely difficult for you." Elizabeth leaned forward slightly and tried to  
  
communicate with her eyes. "Hopefully you will soon find yourself in a much better state."   
  
Catherine narrowed her eyes slightly. After a moment she sat back, understanding.   
  
"Yes, I do hope so." Elizabeth nodded.   
  
"You don't look as if you've had much sleep lately, Catherine," Will said calmly.   
  
"Perhaps it would be wise for you to take some extra time to try and rest in the afternoons. You  
  
don't want to fall ill, do you?"   
  
"That is a good idea. I haven't been able to rest very much these last few days. Thank  
  
you for your concern, Will." Governor Swann looked confused at this incredibly formal and  
  
unanimated conversation. He looked from one daughter to the other, trying to understand what  
  
was going on. Both women just gave their father knowing looks that told him not to ask any  
  
questions. Right at that moment, the butler announced that Mrs. Molly Thatcher had arrived at  
  
the mansion.   
  
"Show her in, please," Catherine said politely. Molly walked into a silent room full of  
  
tension a few seconds later.   
  
"Good day, Governor Swann. Mr. and Mrs. Turner, Catherine," the woman said as she  
  
curtseyed to each of them in turn. "I came to show your new maid her way around the  
  
marketplace and I just wanted to say hello." Governor Swann nodded.   
  
"Of course, Mrs. Thatcher, we are always glad to see you. Your mother and yourself  
  
were invaluable to this household for many years." Molly curtseyed to the governor again and  
  
left the room slowly, giving Elizabeth a meaningful look as she made her way to the kitchen  
  
where the maids were working at the moment.   
  
"Catherine, you look just awful, darling," said Elizabeth, rising from the sofa. "You  
  
really should go rest for a while." Catherine nodded and got up herself.   
  
"I think I shall. Will you come upstairs with me for a moment, Tess?"   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The girls stood in the bedroom of their childhood after having climbed the stairs carefully  
  
so as to avoid any suspicion. After closing the door gently, Catherine took Elizabeth's hand and  
  
pulled her to the window.   
  
"Is Jack safe?" she asked in a hushed voice. "Is there a plan?" Elizabeth squeezed her  
  
sister's hand comfortingly.   
  
"Yes, he's safe. He is hiding in Molly's cellar." Catherine breathed a great sigh of relief  
  
and sank onto a nearby chair, one hand holding Elizabeth's and the other grasping Jack's ring.   
  
"He is safe for now. We have a plan and you must act on it immediately if there is to be any  
  
chance of success." Catherine closed her eyes for a moment before staring determinedly into her  
  
sister's grave face.   
  
"Tell me what to do."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Elizabeth appeared in the kitchen after leaving Catherine in her room. She looked around  
  
for Molly and then went straight to where she was standing with one of the house maids.   
  
"Mary, could you take a tray up to my sister, please? She is in dire need of rest and could  
  
use some refreshment to help her sleep." The tall maid curtseyed, put a small tray of bread,  
  
cheese and milk together, and made her way toward the stairs. She looked to Molly briefly  
  
before she went.   
  
"Mary, I'll wait for you in the entrance hall. We can go to the market after you've taken  
  
Miss Catherine her tray." The girl nodded and went on her way. Elizabeth and Molly exchanged  
  
a tense and meaningful look before Elizabeth left the kitchen. Minutes later she and Will were  
  
walking down the streets of Port Royal on their way home.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Governor Swann knocked softly on the door of his daughter's bedroom shortly after  
  
Elizabeth and Will had left.   
  
"Catherine? Are you asleep?" He waited a moment and, not receiving an answer, opened  
  
the door and went inside. He shook his head in surprise to see the maid sitting in a chair wearing  
  
his daughter's clothes. The girl got up quickly and tried to apologize as she wrung her hands,  
  
nervous and uncomfortable. The governor took her shoulders. "Where is Catherine? Has she  
  
gone?" The girl nodded. Governor Swann closed his eyes and sat down, overcome with relief.   
  
"Thank God. She's free."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"This way, Catherine." Mrs. Thatcher led a disguised Catherine quickly down a side  
  
street toward her small home. Catherine began to laugh as she walked faster and faster toward  
  
her husband. It was amazing how easily she had gotten out of the house. After she and the maid  
  
had put on each other's clothes, Catherine just kept her head down and her cap pulled low over  
  
her face and walked out of the front door right under the nose of her guard. Molly had been  
  
much more nervous about the escape than Catherine had, now that she thought about it.   
  
Catherine was so deep in thought reliving her flight from the governor's mansion that she almost  
  
didn't notice Molly's hand on her arm directing her toward a small house. Molly led the woman  
  
into her home and pointed toward a door on the back wall. Catherine grinned like a child as she  
  
bounded down the stairs into the cellar.   
  
Jack had been pacing back and forth across the dank cellar all morning. He was shaken  
  
out of his stupor by Catherine's ringing laughter as she ran down the stairs. The pirate stopped  
  
dead in his tracks and held out his arms as his wife ran into them. They both laughed and giggled  
  
like they were five years old as Jack picked Catherine up and spun her around and around. When  
  
they were both too dizzy to stand up straight Jack stopped and kissed Catherine passionately.   
  
"Oh my," she said as she drew away to take a breath, "if nothing else all of our  
  
misfortunes certainly do make for happy reunions!" Jack threw his head back and laughed, his  
  
gold teeth shining.   
  
"Aye, love, that they do!"  
  
"Captain Sparrow?" A small voice came from the stairs. Catherine and Jack turned  
  
around to see Peter standing timidly beside his mother. Jack threw his arm into the air with a  
  
flourish.   
  
"Peter, me boy!" Catherine smiled and went to kneel in front of the small lad.   
  
"So this is our dashing young hero!" she said, smiling as the boy blushed.   
  
"My name is Peter Thatcher, miss....uh, miss..."  
  
"Catherine Sparrow. Glad to meet you, Peter." Catherine took the boy's chin in her hand  
  
and kissed him on the cheek, causing him to turn an even deeper shade of red. "Thank you."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Commodore Norrington?" The commodore halted on his way to the governor's  
  
mansion to see what his soldier was looking at. The guard pointed down a side street. "Aren't  
  
they the Turners?" Norrington turned his head to see Will and Elizabeth being led through the  
  
back alleys of Port Royal by young Peter Thatcher. After looking quizzically after them for a  
  
moment, the commodore's eyes widened.   
  
"To the mansion, and hurry!"   
  
Minutes later Governor Swann was storming through the entrance hall as Norrington and  
  
his men entered the house.   
  
"What is the meaning of this?!"   
  
"I am sorry for the disturbance, Governor. I must speak with your daughter. Where is  
  
she?" Governor Swann raised his head at Norrington's calm request.   
  
"She is in her room resting. She has had an extremely stressful week, as you are well  
  
aware," he said with disdain. The commodore climbed the stairs quickly and knocked on  
  
Catherine's door. After several moments of no response, two of the guards pushed the door open  
  
to find it empty. Norrington glanced coldly but with some panic around the room for a moment  
  
before storming out without so much as a look at the governor.   
  
"She's gone to Sparrow. Find them!" The soldiers ran off.   
  
"Commodore Norrington," the governor said calmly. Norrington turned to face him  
  
slowly, his hands clenched by his side.   
  
"Yes, Governor?"  
  
"I would like you to know that I am extremely disappointed in your recent behavior. It  
  
seems to me that you no longer serve others, but only yourself. This fanatical hunt for Jack  
  
Sparrow has gone too far. You must, of course, do what you see fit, but after today you will be  
  
demoted back to Captain until you are able to again convince me of your merit." Norrington's  
  
mouth dropped open for a moment. "If it were not for the years of true and loyal service to the  
  
Crown and to Jamaica I would have discharged you all together. That will be all, Captain."   
  
Norrington nodded stiffly and left the mansion.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Will and Elizabeth burst into the small cellar and gathered both Catherine and Jack into  
  
one massive group hug as Peter and his mother stood by watching. They had hardly gotten out  
  
their 'hello's when a pounding was heard coming from upstairs. Jack shook his head and sighed,  
  
frustrated.   
  
"That would be bloody Norrington." Everyone else looked quite distressed as Catherine  
  
took her husband's hand calmly.   
  
"I guess we would be leaving now," she said as she looked at her husband who nodded  
  
silently. "Goodbye Elizabeth, Will." Elizabeth's eyes welled up with tears as she embraced her  
  
sister. "Don't fret, Tess. We'll be back." With that the couple quickly said their thanks and  
  
goodbyes, rushed up the cellar stairs and ran silently out the back door of Molly's small home  
  
into the alley.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Molly opened the door minutes later to see a group of soldiers running towards her. They  
  
had been planning on breaking down the door, but instead they found themselves on a pile in the  
  
tiny kitchen with poor Molly flattened on the bottom.   
  
"Get up, get up!" Norrington shouted at the pile of men on the floor in front of him.   
  
"Oh," he said as he noticed Molly. "I'm so sorry madam. Here, let me help you up." Molly  
  
pushed her cap back on her head as she took Norrington's hand."   
  
"Thank you." Just at that moment Will and Elizabeth ran upstairs and into the center of  
  
the chaos. Norrington turned quickly to face them.   
  
"Excuse me Mrs. Turner, but I need to know where your sister is," Norrington said with  
  
more than a hint of agitation in his voice. Elizabeth crossed her arms stubbornly and glared at  
  
him.   
  
"So you can follow her to Jack? Well, in that case I'm afraid you're too late!"   
  
Norrington turned on his heel and stormed out the door, calling over his shoulder for his men to  
  
follow him. The guards hurried to their feet and ran after their captain as Elizabeth, Will, and  
  
Molly followed close behind.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Jack! Catherine!" The couple ran down the docks to see Gibbs and Mr. Cotton waiting  
  
nervously. "Bout time, we've been sitting 'ere for four days!" Jack clapped Gibbs on the back  
  
as they all jumped into the waiting rowboat.   
  
"Excellent, mates! Now shove off an' let's get away from this bloody town!" Gibbs  
  
laughed.   
  
"Now aren't ye glad we didn't stick to the code?" Jack grinned cocked his head to one  
  
side and smiled sarcastically.   
  
"Just shut up and row."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"There!" The small rowboat had barely made it into the water when Norrington and his  
  
men came running onto the docks with Molly and the Turners on their heels.   
  
"Blast!" Jack shouted as he pulled out his pistol. "You need to find yourself a girl,  
  
mate!" Catherine shook her head in fury.   
  
"Damn you, Norrington!! Why can't you just leave us alone!?!" Her cry was drowned  
  
out by the command to open fire upon the rowboat. Jack pushed her down and began shooting.   
  
Elizabeth hurled herself onto Norrington's back, hitting him and clawing at his face as Will tried  
  
to pull her off while simultaneously attempting to wrestle Norrington's gun away. It was  
  
complete pandemonium: the soldiers were confused as they shot at the rowboat; the pirates fired  
  
back with angry frustration; Catherine was shrieking at 'bloody Norrington' as her sister tried to  
  
kill him; the aforementioned captain fired the occasional shot as he fought off the hysterical  
  
woman attached to his back. He finally managed to loosen Elizabeth's grasp and she and Will  
  
fell to the docks. Norrington took advantage of his brief moment of freedom and fired.   
  
Catherine screamed. The shot had found its mark in Jack's shoulder. The pirate looked  
  
at the bullet hole a moment before cursing and standing up all the way and trying more than ever  
  
to kill Norrington. Catherine tried to press her skirt over the wound as Jack fired away like a  
  
lunatic and Gibbs darted up beside her, furious at the ex-commodore's daring to actually shoot  
  
Jack. The madness continued until once again one of Norrington's few shots managed to find its  
  
way home. The fire stopped. Elizabeth and Will stared in shocked silence as Gibbs slumped  
  
down in the small boat.   
  
"Gibbs!" Jack fell down to his friend's side. The old pirate coughed hoarsely and held  
  
his chest. "Come off it, man!"  
  
"Sorry, Jack," the pirate said as the color drained out of his face. "Don't think I'll be  
  
workin' for ye anymore." Catherine knelt down and took Gibbs' hand gently. "Look after 'im,  
  
Catherine, don' let 'im do anythin' too crazy." Catherine nodded solemnly as a tear fell down  
  
her cheek. Jack knit his eyebrows together and tightened his lips as he watched his old friend's  
  
life fade away. "So long, Cap'n." And then Gibbs was gone.   
  
"Bastard." Jack darted up and spun to fire at Norrington as Catherine grabbed his hand.   
  
"No, Jack! Enough! Jack, look at me!" The pirate turned his head and looked into his  
  
wife's pleading eyes. "Enough." He nodded and sat down in the boat.   
  
"Mr. Cotton," Captain Sparrow said half-heartedly, "on to the Pearl." The old mute  
  
nodded and began rowing.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Damn it, Norrington!" Will shouted as he helped Elizabeth to her feet. "Are you quite  
  
satisfied?" Norrington was staring dumbfounded at the scene that had just occurred and the  
  
death he had just caused. He looked down at his feet as if searching for something.   
  
"I..." Elizabeth placed her hand reluctantly upon his shoulder.   
  
"It's done, Norrington. For God's sake, let them be." With that the Turners waved a  
  
final goodbye to the passengers of the tiny rowboat and turned to go home to their baby.   
  
"Oh, by the way," Will said looking back over his shoulder. "You really do need to find  
  
yourself a girl." The captain shook his head and turned back to his soldiers.   
  
"All right, men," he said. "Back to the fort." He watched one by one as his men walked  
  
slowly off of the docks and was about to leave himself when he realized that Molly was still  
  
standing there. "Oh, Mrs...."   
  
"Thatcher." Norrington nodded politely.   
  
"I suppose your husband will be wondering where you are." Molly shook her head.   
  
"Actually, I'm a widow." Norrington started awkwardly.   
  
"I am sorry. Please allow me to accompany you home." She curtseyed and took his arm.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Captain, are you all right?" Anna Maria asked when she saw Jack's shoulder as she was  
  
helping to pull up the row boat. Jack nodded silently. The crew gasped as he and Mr. Cotton  
  
lifted Gibbs' body onto the deck.   
  
"Anna Maria?" Jack said quietly. The woman nodded and waved for a few hands to help  
  
her with the body. Catherine led Jack gently into his cabin with one hand pressed against his  
  
bleeding shoulder and the other arm around his waist.   
  
Once inside Jack sat silently on the bed wincing as Catherine dressed his wound. When  
  
she was done, she lifted her hand to his face.   
  
"Jack?" A few tears fell down his cheeks. Catherine held out her arms as Jack bent  
  
down to her. She stroked her husband's knotted brown hair as she cradled his head in her arms.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Later that evening Jack and Catherine stood alone on the deck after the rest of the crew  
  
had gone to bed. They had just finished Gibbs' burial at sea and all was quiet except for the  
  
sound of the waves crashing against the ship.   
  
"Jack?" The pirate turned to his wife.   
  
"Aye, love?"   
  
"Are you all right? I know that Gibbs' death has really affected you..." Catherine was cut  
  
short by a wave of Jack's hand.   
  
"Don't, love," he said as he shook his head and sighed. "There's no point. There's just  
  
been so much goin' and that bloody Norrington shootin' Gibbs just knocked me over the edge.   
  
I'm all right, I've just got te recover a little, that's all." Catherine stood with one elbow resting  
  
on the railing of the Black Pearl watching her husband as the sea breeze danced in her hair. As  
  
Jack spoke some of the care and sorrow that had lined his face over the last year began to fade  
  
away and he slowly turned back into his old, jolly, somewhat mad self. After a moment he  
  
looked away from the sea and grinned up at her.   
  
"We made it, Catherine, we're free."  
  
"That we are, Jack," she answered with a smile. "And I'm not Catherine anymore,  
  
remember? I'm Cate Sparrow." The pirate took of his hat and bowed theatrically.   
  
"Of course, milady, how could I forget?" Cate crossed her arms pretending to be upset.   
  
"Don't you milady me," she said with a playful grin. "A lady wouldn't do what I'm about  
  
to do with an infamous pirate." Jack's smile got even wider. "Now, Captain Sparrow, I believe  
  
we have some business to attend to," she said as she sashayed towards the captain's cabin. Jack  
  
chuckled and turned up the ends of his moustache.   
  
"That we do, love, that we do!" Jack followed his wife into their cabin with a shining  
  
gold grin on his face, a swagger in his walk, and singing to himself as he went. "Yo ho, yo ho, a  
  
pirate's life for me!"   
  
=====================================================================  
  
============================THE END================================== 


End file.
